Seven Senshi Wonders of the World
by Shritistrang
Summary: The Seven Wonders of the World are the most fascinating pieces of ancient history... and earlier incarnations of the Sailor Senshi have witnessed the story of their construction and destruction. A history lesson like no one before...
1. Dinner for Setsuna

How often do we stumble over remains of the past? How often does a hard-working man dig up ancient relics of a time long ago, merely by coincidence?

And how often does he wish he could have lived in those days of the ancient world, a time of wonders and miracles?

----

Usagi Tsukino whined as she pulled her face out of the dirt.

"Stupid garden work!"

Luna, who was sitting nearby, shook her head. "I really don't want to say it, but you put yourself into this mess, you know that? If you had put some more work into your English test, your mother wouldn't have made you do this."

"Great! I have to work hard so I don't have to work hard," the odangoed girl whined, while picking up the small spade.

Her friend Makoto Kino grinned as she looked up from her own work. "Well, what do you prefer? Working for school or working in the garden?"

"Very funny, Mako..." Usagi grumbled.

"What I don't get is why we have to help her as well?" Minako Aino complained, the red-bowed girl busy raking the lawn.

"Well, because we want to help our friend, of course," Ami Mizuno smiled. The blue-haired girl was busy binding a few flowers Minako had accidentally pulled out of the soil with her rake, into a bouquet.

"I still don't believe you talked me into this," Minako muttered. "I mean, Rei isn't helping either, is she?"

"That's because she has to help out at the temple, you know that, Minako," Makoto reminded her.

The blonde groaned. "I would have switched with her anytime..."

Her white cat advisor Artemis grinned. "I think you're just lazy."

Minako glowered at him and slightly raised her rake. "Careful! I'm armed!" Artemis gulped.

It was then that Rei Hino, their black-haired friend from the Hikawa Temple, arrived in the Tsukino's garden.

"Hey guys!" she waved.

"Hey Rei," Ami greeted back. "Finished with your work at the temple?"

"Yup," Rei nodded. "And I thought, as the afternoon still has some hours left, why not go over to my friends and help them?"

"Oh Rei, you're a great friend," Usagi cried and hugged the shrine maiden.

"Hey, hey, slow down there, meatball head!"

Usagi let go of her friend and glared at her. "Rei, I thought I told you not to call me that anymore."

Rei grinned and wanted to reply something, when suddenly, a loud 'clang' came from where Makoto was digging.

"Huh?" the pony-tailed girl wondered. "Usagi, did your parents bury anything made from metal in their garden? Because my spade just hit something solid."

Usagi shook her head.

Carefully, so they didn't damage the delicate flowers, the girls pulled whatever Makoto had found out of the soil.

It was a small, iron chest.

They all stared at in in awe.

"I've never seen that before," Usagi said. "And I don't think my parents owned anything like that before."

"I didn't think so," Ami spoke up. "I believe this chest is at least 70 or 80 years old."

"Awesome!" Minako blurted out. "C'mon, open it! I wanna know what's inside!"

Makoto broke the ancient, rusty padlock with a forceful blow of her spade, and it fell to the ground.

Rei opened the chest and pulled out an old leather pouch. Inside, she found a few ancient yen coins.

"Wow!" Makoto whistled. "I wonder how long those have been in there?"

"Think they're still worth anything?" Minako asked.

"Maybe for a collector," Ami shrugged. "Still, I think it's pretty interesting to find such remains of the past in your parent's garden, Usagi. Regarding from how the chest looks, I believe it has been here a long time before you moved into this house."

Makoto took one of the old coins and looked at it with a dreamy expression. "You know, I always wondered how it has been for the people that have been living in old times."

"Well, life wasn't nearly as comfortable as it is nowadays," Ami said.

"I know," Makoto replied. "And I'm glad we have electricity and modern communication and all that stuff. But... at the same time, I envy those people, as they were able to see the world in a way we'll never see it."

"That's true," Rei sighed. "Sometimes, I wonder how our life would have been if we all lived back in those days... and I don't mean just a few years ago, but in the really far past. In medieval times, or even further back, in the ancient world of the Greeks and Romans..."

Usagi giggled. "You would look silly in a toga, Rei!"

Rei just stuck out her tongue.

Makoto, expecting one of their dreaded 'tongue duels', quickly changed the subject. "Hey, Ami! Didn't you tell us you have to write an essay for your history class?"

The junior genius nodded. "Yes, but I still haven't written anything... I couldn't think of a good topic yet."

"Well, why don't you write something about the ancient times? Like... the Seven Wonders of the World, for instance!"

"That's a good idea!" Rei smiled. "And we all can help, like we helped Usagi today."

"The Seven Wonders of the World?" Usagi wondered. "What's that?"

Luna groaned. "Usagi... if you had paid at least a bit attention during history class, you would know."

"They are the most legendary buildings mankind ever created," Ami explained. "Sadly, most of them are destroyed by now. The only ones that still exist are the Pyramids of Giza."

"Oh, I know about them," Usagi nodded. "Mom always wanted to see those."

"Well, but what do we know about the others?" Minako asked. "I would like to help in that matter, but I would have to look into some books before being much of a help in that matter."

"I'm afraid Minako has a point," Makoto sighed. "Ami will most likely be the one who already knows most about that subject."

"If you don't mind, I could tell you one or thing about them," a voice behind them spoke up.

They turned around to see a green-haired woman standing behind them.

"Setsuna!"

The guardian of time smirked. "Really, if you had any questions about the past, you would know that I'm the one you could always ask."

Ami and the others looked happy when they heard this, but then Usagi frowned. "But do you have the time to help us? Don't you have some gates to guard?"

"Please," Setsuna said. "If there's one thing I have, it's some time for my friends. Besides, I could tell you an interesting story that no one except me has ever heard before: The story of the Seven World Wonders, from the perspective of your past selves!"

"C'mon!" Minako giggled. "You're pulling our legs, are you? I mean, there's no way that our ancestors could have lived in Egypt or Greece."

"No, but your previous incarnations," Setsuna stated. "Or do you believe that your current incarnations are the first one to come after the Silver Millennium? It may just be a coincidence, but I can assure you that all of you have witnessed the construction... and possible destruction... of every single World Wonder yourselves, in some incarnation of that time."

NOW the five Inner Senshi were looking at the Time Guardian in awe. "Why didn't you tell us any of this before?" Rei asked.

Setsuna shrugged. "Because you never asked."

"Oh, please tell us, Setsuna!" Ami pleaded.

"Yes, please," Minako nodded. "This is so exciting. C'mon, tell us everything!"

The Senshi of Time smiled at them. "Well... I COULD be persuaded into telling you the true story behind the Seven Wonders of the World... if you would buy me, say... a nice meal?"

"Of course!" Usagi shouted with glee.

Luna glared at Setsuna. "Scrounger..." Setsuna just stuck out her tongue.

----

A short time after that (Usagi's mother had allowed them to go out for dinner after their hard work), they were all sitting around a table inside a nice restaurant.

Setsuna was already holding the menu.

"Now, can you begin?" Usagi pleaded.

"Yes..."

"What story are you telling us first?" Ami asked. "The story of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Or of the Colossus of Rhodes?"

"Yes..."

"Which one?" Rei impatiently asked. "Don't keep us waiting like that."

"Yes..."

"Yes WHAT?" Usagi snapped.

Setsuna looked up from her menu and nodded. "Yes, I believe I'll have a soup as starter."

The Inner Senshi all facefaulted.

"Setsuna..." Rei groaned.

The Senshi of Time giggled. "Hey, I'm just teasing you. Okay, I got it, you're all at the edge of your seats. Well then... where shall I start?"

She folded her hands and looked up at the restaurant's ceiling. "It was so long ago... let's see if I can remember everything correctly... Well then, the first story I'm gonna tell you is about..."


	2. The Pyramid and Cube of Giza

It was a dark night in ancient Egypt. It was so dark that even the wild jackals were staying within their dens.

But, if one would look carefully, he would see the shapes of three dark silhouettes that were slowly walking down one of the capital's streets.

"Is it really wise to get out on the streets at such a late hour?" a whiny voice asked. One of the three girls nervously looked over her shoulder. "What if the Nile Bandits are sneaking around?"

"You're a coward, Minak-Osiris," the raven-haired leader huffed. "The bandits would never dare showing their faces in the capital of our ruler, the great Pharaoh Mam-Or-Amun!"

"Don't tell me you aren't worried, Horei," the third one, a tall girl with unusual brown hair muttered.

"Of course I'm not," Horei angrily snapped. "After all, my father is a member of the palace guard and he taught me how to fight. Stop making such accusations, Ptah-koto!"

"She didn't seem so confident when the queen told us to meet her here, in the slums," Minak-Osiris, also simply called Minak by her friends, whispered to her tall friend Ptah-koto.

"Enough of this," Horei grumbled. "Let's rather try to find the queen. She told us to meet her here... I wonder what would be so important that the Pharaoh's wife would risk her safety by coming to such a place like this."

"Well, her personal guard will most likely protect her," Minak shrugged. "But I still think we should..."

She wanted to say something else, but then her gaze fell upon a dark figure that had appeared on the other end of the street.

"Th-th-there..." she whispered "The N-Nile B-Bandits..."

Ptah-koto gulped. "Are you certain?"

"Who else would dress like that?" Minak whimpered, gesturing at the black cloak and hood of the mysterious figure that was approaching them. "I don't know about you, but I'm outta here!"

She turned around to run, but Horei swiftly grabbed the collar of her clothes. "Stay here! We're in no danger!"

"B-but the Nile Bandits..."

"Would you believe me to be a bandit, Minak-Osiris?" a gentle voice asked while the 'bandit' pulled the hood off 'his' head.

Minak stared at the face of her queen in awe. Then, she and her two friends quickly bowed down. "Y-your Highness!" Ptah-koto stuttered. "I didn't know it was you..."

"What are you doing... in this attire?" Horei wondered when she looked up at her queen.

Queen Serenitete smiled. "Well, it's a good disguise, don't you think? No one would believe that the queen of the Nile would disguise herself as a bandit, right?"

"A wise decision," Ptah-koto nodded. "After all, why should a bandit ambush one of his own?"

"Just as the old saying goes," Minak grinned. "She's like a jackal in camel's clothing."

The others all sweatdropped. "You mean, like a wolf in sheep's clothing..." Horei mumbled.

"Anyway, could we please continue this conversation back at your house?" the queen asked. "I fear there might still be other people around that might listen."

"Yes, that would be better," Horei nodded. "Here, it's this way..."

Serenitete turned to follow her servants and friends... but before she took another step, she stumbled over her own cloak and fell right onto her beautiful face.

"Your Highness!" the girls gasped. "Are you all right?"

Serenitete pulled her face out of the dirt and rubbed her nose. "Owie... that hurt."

----

Shortly after that, they were all sitting in the humble home of the three servant girls, a small house in the outskirts of town. The three of them were sitting around their queen and listened to her tale.

"You said you moved out of your own bedroom just so there would be enough space for the Pharaoh's riches?" Ptah-koto asked in disbelief.

Serenitete nodded. "I'm afraid so," she sadly smiled.

Manik-Osiris tried hardly not to laugh out loud. Yes, she would love to be in that situation: To own so much gold that you have to make place for it.

"And you decided to stay with us because of that?" Horei asked, a little bit worried about her queen's sanity.

"Of course," Sernitete smiled. "Why shouldn't I? After all, you are my closest friends since childhood."

"But couldn't you easily sleep in the quarters of your handmaidens?" Ptah-koto wondered.

"Maybe, but this wouldn't be the same," the queen sighed. "After all, you are the only people that treat me like a person, not like the wife of a god... I only want to stay for a while, until the architects came up with a solution. They are all working hard to design the blueprints for a new building, a storage chamber where my beloved husband Mam-Or-Amun can keep his treasures."

"But we haven't enough beds in here," Minak protested. "And they are way too small, so someone would have to sleep on the floor."

When she saw her friends and the queen look at her with big grins on her faces, she instantly shook her head. "Oh no! Nonononono! I won't do that! Nu-uh! Forget it!"

"But Minak, it's for the queen, our friend." Horei grinned like the goddess Bast herself. "Surely, you can endure this for a few nights..."

"Oh yeah, and the nights turn into weeks, and the weeks into months, I know how those things turn out..."

Queen Serenitete frowned at her. "Minak-Osiris, would you prefer I pull out the papyrus with all your outstanding debts?"

"No! Wait! You don't have to do that!" Minak gasped. "Spare me the papyrus... I'll let you sleep in my bed for a few nights." She sighed in defeat.

Serenitete smiled. "Thank you so much, Minak-Osiris! You are too kind!"

----

About one week later, the Pharaoh's architects were able to present him their first results.

It has been a difficult time for both the queen and her three friends, Serenitete not being used to their sort of lifestyle, while Ptah-koto, Minak-Osiris and Horei had to endure her moods and clumsiness.

Also, Minak was missing sleeping in her own, warm bed, which she had to leave for her queen... and at the same time, she had to endure Serenitetes unbearable snoring.

Even the normally very patient Ptah-koto and Horei were glad when they were allowed to attend the Pharaoh's meeting with his architects, together with their queen and friend.

Mam-Or-Amun was sitting atop his throne, his gaze sweeping over the assembled people.

"So, let's begin. What did you all bring me? You there, let's start with you."

A scrawny young man called Uminoth stepped forth. He was very nervous as he raised the plans of the building he came up with.

"I, um... I thought about a new palace with 330 chambers. If you would take a look at the plan, my Pharaoh..."

Mam-Or-Amun took a short look at the blueprints, then shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, but this is too banal. Next one, please!"

The disappointed Uminoth stepped aside to make way for a beautiful-looking woman with dark green hair. She had a confident smile on her face.

"My Pharaoh, if you would take a look at what I had in mind..."

"I think I know her," Horei whispered to her friends. "That is Bastet-Suna, the famous inventor and architect. Some say that she was the one that constructed most of the temples in our kingdom."

"Wow..." Minak-Osiris was impressed.

"I see..." the Pharaoh said as he took a look at Bastet-Sunas blueprints. "Your building is shaped like a pyramid..."

"That's correct, my Pharaoh," the female architect nodded. She gestured at a certain point on the plan. "If you look here, here is where we will make a hidden entrance to the treasure chambers..."

"Where I can store my gold," the Pharaoh nodded. "Sounds interesting."

"But that's not all," Bastet-Suna went on. "In later centuries, this building will make you famous."

"Sounds even more interesting," Mam-Or-Amun smiled. "I have to admit, I'm very tempted..."

A disapproving sigh could be heard from the crowd. Mam-Or-Amun looked up in surprise, and Bastet-Suna turned around angrily.

"Who dares to disturb my conversation with the Pharaoh?"

"Excuse me," a cute, blue-haired girl spoke up. "My name is Amisis - I've just become an architect - and I believe I have a better idea than this."

"Oh, have you now?" Bastet-Suna frowned, not liking the attitude of this young upstart.

Amisis nodded. "You know, while a pyramid may be a nice idea... I'd suggest something else. You know, a cube has - when the base has the same size - the triplicate volume of a pyramid."

She smiled at the Pharaoh. "Triplicate volume means triplicate storage place for your treasures."

The Pharaoh nodded. That sounded logical.

"Furthermore, the cube I came up with is totally impregnable."

"Really?" the Pharaoh asked. "To what extent?"

The young architect pulled out a small cube that looked like it was composed out of some smaller, colorful cubes.

"This is only a model of the real thing, my Pharaoh! You see, only one of the many color combinations will lead to a result." She held it up to the throne. "Try it yourself! If you manage to find the correct combination, the cube will open up."

"Um, I don't think I..."

Serenitete patted his shoulder. "Try it, dear! It's just a game, after all!"

Mam-Or-Amun took the small cube with a sigh and said: "Okay, fine!"

He turned around the various sides of the cube, while the hidden mechanism gritted and creaked.

After some time, sweat appeared on his forehead, as he still couldn't figure out how to solve the puzzle.

Amisis giggled. 'I believe that in future centuries, no one will be able to solve this puzzle,' she thought to herself. 'But I think it's better if I don't tell that to the Pharaoh.'

Finally, the Pharaoh gave up. "I have to admit, it really is impossible to open it without the correct combination." He looked over to Bastet-Suna, who was still waiting impatiently for an answer, her pyramid blueprints in her hands.

"I'm sorry, but I like this idea more than your pyramid."

Bastet-Suna didn't say another word, instead she just grabbed her blueprints, huffed and left the throne room.

"Looks like he's satisfied with that thing," Ptah-koto assumed.

Minak-Osiris nodded. "Yeah... it looks like fun, though. Think he'd lend me this model so I can try it myself?"

When she saw the disbelieving looks of her friends, she blinked. "What?"

----

Several days later...

Minak-Osiris gritted her teeth. "What I don't get (pant, pant)... is why we (pant, wheeze) have to help with the constructions of Amisis' goddamned cube (pant, pant, wheeze)."

"Don't complain," Horei groaned as she helped her two friends pull the wooden cart with the incredibly heavy stone blocks to the construction site of the 'Cube of Amisis'. "After all, whose fault is it that we are in debt to the Pharaoh and queen?"

"Oh, just the fault of a certain, blonde, very clumsy girl - whose name I diplomatically won't state - who turned the queen's last birthday festivities into a chaotic mess!" Ptah-Koto added with a grimace.

"Oh sure, blame me for what happened," Minak grumbled. "How was I supposed to know that the Pharaoh keeps such dangerous pets in his palace?"

"Minak, you set the Pharaoh's captured crocodiles free," Ptah-Koto sighed. "It normally IS common knowledge that they are not as harmless as a kittycat, right?"

Minak-Osiris mumbled something intelligible, but decided to keep her mouth shut for now and continued to pull the stone blocks to where they were needed.

----

And after a month and several weeks of hard work...

"See, my Pharaoh?" Amisis proudly said as she looked up at the impressive, multi-colored cube that was looming over their heads. "It has been a hard piece of work, but in the end, we finally made it."

"We?" Minak grumbled. "She only stood at the sidelines and gave us commands..."

Pharaoh Mam-Or-Amun and his wife Serenitete were overwhelmed. "Yes..." the Pharaoh said with a smile. "This is truly a monument you can be proud of, Amisis."

Amisis beamed at her Pharaoh upon hearing the praise. She then gestured at six levers that were situated near the colossal block.

"The first three levers move the horizontal parts of the cube... and the other three move the vertical parts."

"Very interesting," the Pharaoh nodded. "I have to give it a try."

The Pharaoh, his wife, the young architect and the three servants approached the six levers, then Mam-Or-Amun stepped forward and took one of them into his hand.

He looked at Amisis and his wife, nodded... and pressed the lever forward.

A deep and hollow rumbling echoed over the small valley, in which the enormous cube was situated... as one of the multi-colored parts slowly turned around, as if moved by the invisible hands of the gods.

"Absolutely incredible..." the Pharaoh said in awe. He grinned and reached for another handle, slowly moving one part of the cube after another, until his wife joined the fun and moved the horizontal parts, while her husband was moving the vertical parts.

"Looks like they're having fun," Ptah-koto observed.

"Sure, the members of upper nobility always have the fun and exciting playthings..." Minak pouted.

In the late evening, the queen and Pharaoh were finally satisfied. Mam-Or-Amun stepped back and nodded. "It's impossible to find the correct combination," he proudly stated. "Truly, Amisis... you can be proud of yourself! No one will ever reach the treasures of our kingdom, hidden in there."

"You already brought your treasures into the cube?" Horei asked in surprise.

"Yes, the last sack of gold has been brought into the treasure chamber within the cube last night," the queen explained.

"Now I want to see if everything is were it's supposed to be," the Pharaoh stated. "Amisis, what was the combination again?"

"Um, I don't have it memorized... but that's no problem. Your servants should have the papyrus on which I wrote the correct combination."

"Oh, thank goodness," Serenitete sighed, then giggled. "I was almost afraid all of our gold would be trapped inside that cube, and we wouldn't be able to get in. Girls, can you please give us the papyrus?"

"Sure," Horei nodded. "Ptah-koto, you have it, right?"

"Me?" the brunette girl wondered. "I thought you were the one who had it."

Horei shook her head. "No, I gave it to you just before I got that nasty cold and had to call in sick for several days, remember?"

"Oh, you're right! Um, where did I put it...? Ah, right, I gave it to Minak, she seemed so fascinated with the cube."

The Pharaoh smiled. "Oh, good. Well, Minak-Osiris... can we have it?"

Minak-Osiris was already searching through the pockets of her clothes, and suddenly, she had a very alarmed look on her face. "Uh-oh..."

"Uh-oh?" Horei frowned. "What do you mean, 'Uh-oh'?"

Minak gulped. "Well... we have a small problem here..."

"What do you mean?" the queen asked in confusion.

Minak-Osiris laughed nervously. "Um, I just remembered where I put that papyrus..."

"And where?" the king asked with a frown.

Again, the blonde servant gulped. "Please, promise you won't be upset, my Pharaoh..."

"Enough of this! WHERE?"

Minak slowly raised her index finger. "I believe it's in there... in that big cube."

And only a few seconds later, the inhabitants of the capital city all wondered if there was an earthquake... not knowing that the vibrations they felt were just the result of five people falling down on their backs with a humongous facefault.

----

Setsuna took another sip from her cup of tea. "And so, poor Minak-Osiris was commanded to tear down the entire cube with a single hammer the queen handed her personally... all by herself."

Minako and Usagi blinked. The others simply stared.

"So... and how come they still built the pyramid instead of the cube?" Usagi asked. "They could have always rebuilt the thing, right?"

Setsuna shrugged. "Well, after all what happened, Pharaoh Mam-Or-Amun was fed up with such modern contraptions like the Cube of Amisis... and in the end, he ordered the skilled and adept - and very good-looking, if I may say so - architect Bastet-suna to build her pyramid. For several years, the Great Pyramid of Giza served as the Pharaoh's treasure room... but in the end, it was being used as a tomb for one of his descendants. That's all."

The other Senshi exchanged a worried look.

"Setsuna..." Rei carefully spoke up. "Please tell us one thing..."

"And what is that?" the Senshi of Time asked.

"Do you really think we believe one single part of your story?" the raven-haired Shinto priestess asked in irritation.

Setsuna took another sip before answering: "Well, believe what you want to believe. I can just tell you what I saw through the Gates of Time. Now, do you want to hear the rest of the stories? Or do you think it's a waste of time, as you wouldn't believe me anyway?"

"Oh no, please go on," Ami pleaded. "Your story was indeed very, uuuh... exceptional. But, to tell you the truth, it was such an exciting story... I don't care if it happened like this or not." The blue-haired girl smiled at Setsuna. "I must say I'm very curious about the other six stories."

"Ami's right," Usagi nodded. "That story was so cool..."

Minako huffed. "Sure, because you were the queen and Ami the architect... and who was I? The clumsy sidekick who always messes things up."

"Well, then not much has changed over the centuries, right?" Artemis asked. "OW!" He then rubbed his head, right where his blonde protege had just slugged him.

"Well then, the second story..." Setsuna spoke up. "It's about my favorite Wonder of the World, to tell the truth. It is the story of..."


	3. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Setsuna took a small spoonful of the soup the waiter had just placed in front of her. The other Senshi were listening in anticipation and almost forgot about their own soups and starters.

"Well then... Our story takes place in the ancient, prospering Babylon, which was famous for its glorious palaces and its so-called 'ziggurats'. Those were temples, built on high terraces, used to observe the stars.

Well, but the city was especially famous for its beautiful gardens. As those seas of flowers and exotic plants were growing on big terraces, similar to the ziggurats, they were known as 'Hanging Gardens'. And every five years, a citizen of town was appointed to be the head gardener of the city, a position that was greatly admired by the rest of the population.

The young woman that was the head gardener during the events of my story, was a very gentle girl who cared deeply for her flowers and other plants, a girl that was said to be the perfect candidate for the job, and who was expected to take over the job for several years to come..."

----

Mak-Oto hummed to herself while she watered her pretties.

"My roses are the glory of the gardens, like every year," she smiled. She carefully took out her garden shears and cut down a few edges that were looking out of place.

She sighed, while taking a look all around herself. The view over the city from the top of her gardens was breathtaking, as well as all of the beautiful plants that surrounded her.

She couldn't think of a better job to do.

She closed her eyes. "Oh, to smell the nice fragrance of nature, and to be surrounded with such magnificence..."

Yes, she always felt like a poet when doing her favorite work.

When she was finished with watering the flowers, she searched for potential vermins that were threatening her darlings.

Luckily, she didn't find a single one.

"Don't worry, my pretties," she smiled. "You'll be safe as long as I am around. As long as Mak-Oto continues to water, weed, manure and get rid of vermins, no one will ever dare to harm you in any way... what?"

She heard a strange noise, so she turned around...

...and witnessed a scene that made her freeze in shock.

But only for a few seconds. Afterwards, she stormed at the three men that were wielding large polearms and small axes, which they used to chop down the trees, bushes and flowerbeds of her beautiful garden.

"STOP!" Mak-Oto shouted. "What are you doing? You dare destroying the gardens of Babylon? Who... OOF!" She groaned as one of the armed men pushed her back forcefully, so that she stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

"Go away, little girl," the warrior said in a gruff voice. "Let us do our work!" And the he joined his comrades again with chopping, slicing, bashing and downright destroying every single plant in view.

Mak-Oto was in shock, so all she could do was to sit on the ground and mumble: "No... no, what are you doing? The roses of the king... my beautiful darlings... No... NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

----

Mak-Oto wasn't able to keep track of time, but many chops, slices and bashes later, it was over.

And then the young gardener was looking at a scene of destruction.

All around her were the remains of her plants... wooden splinters, ripped leaves and crumbled petals.

For a person like Mak-Oto, it was a scene right out of a nightmare!

"I can't believe it..." she sobbed. "I failed... I failed to do my duty." She scooped up a few of the last intact rose petals and sighed deeply. "Who ever could possibly have the idea of turning my beautiful garden into such a wasteland of destruction?"

Suddenly, she got afraid. "The queen... if she learns about this, I'm done for! She'll tar and feather me... No, she'll hang me... or she'll divide me into four... or she'll..."

"Now why would I do something horrible as that?" an amused voice spoke up behind her. "After all, I was the one who ordered my soldiers to tear down the plants."

Mak-Oto turned around in shock. "Q-queen Hakurabi!" she gasped and fell down to her knees.

"Please, stand up," the tomboyish queen smirked. Hesitantly, Mak-Oto obeyed.

Then it dawned to her: "My... my queen! What do you mean... you ordered your soldiers?" She gasped. "You want to tell me that YOU were the one responsible for this... this..."

Hakurabi nodded. "Yes, I am. But do not fret, my good Mak-Oto, this is not the end, but rather the beginning of something new!"

The young gardener was confused. "Why did you decide to destroy Babylon's blooming paradise?" she asked in a hurt voice. She felt betrayed.

The queen made a dramatic gesture. "On this ground, I will plant the future and destiny of Babylon, my girl. Wisdom and knowledge will bloom and help Babylon to enter a new time of flourishing and glory..."

Mak-Oto scratched her back in confusion. "Umm... I can't quiet follow you, Your Highness..."

Hakurabi smirked. "No, of course not! Maybe I'll let someone else explain for me... come forth, my loyal court researcher, Mic-Hiru!"

Mak-Oto and the queen turned to see a very familiar face approaching them... that of the royal head scientist (and reputed lover of the queen) Mic-Hiru.

In her hands, Mak-Oto could see a small, half open box, which was filled with what the young gardener instantly recognized as flower seeds.

The turquoise-haired woman smiled. "Hello, Mak-Oto!"

Queen Hakurabi grinned. "Now show our dear gardener the fruits of your genius, dear Mic-Hiru."

The researcher smiled. "That's too much praise, really! I was just fortunate. Well, during one of my expeditions in the desert, I stumbled over this little chest by chance. And in it were those seeds... here, take a look!" And she opened the chest widely, so Mak-Oto could have a closer look at the seeds within.

"So... and what kind of seeds are those?" Mak-Oto wondered.

"It's a very special variant of the pansy," Mic-Hiru explained.

"Yes," the queen nodded. "That's why those old beds had to go... in their place, we will plant those pansies. Surely you understand that the old gardens had to make way for the flowers of the future, do you?"

"Well, not really," the gardener admitted. "What's so special about pansies? I mean, they sure are pretty, but..."

"Those pansies have the ability to increase your intelligence," Mic-Hiru said. "Through several experiments, I and my colleagues were able to determine that the scent of those pansies gives the human mind the chance to come up with revolutionary, new ideas for any sort of inventions, from which Babylon might benefit."

"You're kidding me, right?" the gardener blurted out.

"Most certainly not," the queen assured her. "Just imagine what kind of inventions the scientists will make with the help of the pansies. Babylon will undergo an era of wisdom and evolution."

"The most amazing thing is," the head researcher continued. "That those seeds seem to be at least 300 years young."

Mak-Oto blinked. "What do you mean, 'young'?"

"Well... they are from the future."

"What makes you think THAT?" Mak-Oto asked in total disbelief.

Mic-Hiru looked down at the seeds with a shrug. "After our experiments, we came to the conclusion that there has to be no other explanation for this. I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? How else would there be a flower like this and we didn't hear from it before?"

"I don't care where they come from," the queen said. "As long as they help our city to turn into the center of the scientific world..." She smirked. "And our treasure rooms will surely benefit from all of this."

Mak-Oto could only shake her head and sigh.

----

And thus, our poor gardener was assigned with caring for the all new gardens of Babylon... which weren't really much more than one single, giant flowerbed of pansies.

"This is ridiculous..." Mak-Oto angrily muttered to herself while she worked with her hoe. With a deep frown, she watched Mic-Hiru and her colleagues, as they wandered through the gardens, quite often even carrying one of the pansies with them, intent on getting new, incredible ideas from the flower's scent.

"Well, I hope they come up with something soon," Mak-Oto grumbled. "So I can convince the queen to return the beautiful gardens to Babylon, as we know them." She looked down at the pansies with distaste. While she liked flowers and other plants very much, she was fed up with caring for pansies day in and out.

----

Several days later, the leading researchers of Babylon were assembled on the biggest terrace of the Hanging Gardens.

When the queen finally showed up, a smile of pride appeared on all of their faces.

"We're glad you came, Your Highness!" a black-haired scientist named Reih-Ino spoke up.

"We have so many ideas we have to tell you," a blonde girl called Us-Agi proclaimed.

"I hope so," the queen smirked.

'Me too," thought Mak-Oto, who was watching the scene from her working place.

The queen looked over the assembled people and finally gestured at Reih-Ino. "You may begin."

The girl nodded and stepped forth. "Yes, Your Majesty! You see, my pansy gave me the vision of a special device... some sort of box that is connected to a banana-shaped object, with a wire... It allows the users to communicate with each other over long distances."

'Sounds like a brilliant idea,' Mak-Oto thought. 'The queen will most likely be impressed by that.'

But she was wrong.

"You foolish imbecile!" Hakurabi shouted with a voice that made Reih-Ino wince. "Do you know what such a machine would result in? I tell you: The people would exchange secrets behind my back, backbite their neighbors and similar things. They will plot conspiracies behind my back and who knows what else."

Reih-Ino looked disappointed. She was so sure that the queen would like her idea.

"Okay, I heard enough," Hakurabi sighed. "Next one, please!"

As Reih-Ino stepped aside, Us-Agi approached her queen.

Mic-Hiru groaned. Us-Agi had the reputation of being one of the clumsiest scientists ever, who only came up with foolish ideas. She didn't want to know what the pansy's scent had put into her screwed-up mind...

But actually, the blonde girl's idea wasn't too far-fetched.

"Um, my pansy told me that we could build a bigger box that can show all kinds of colors and moving pictures, as well as create sounds... even over a big distance."

"That actually sounds like a stroke of genius," another researcher nodded, impressed by his colleagues idea.

"You really think so?" Us-Agi smiled happily.

"Of course, I think you..."

"ARE THE BIGGEST BUFFOON IN ALL OF BABYLON!" the queen thundered.

"Wh-what...?" Us-Agi squeaked in a fearful voice.

"Such a foolish device won't bring any good to our kingdom," the queen grumbled. People would waste their time with staring into their boxes and the children would lose their interest in learning for school."

Hakurabi sighed. "Did I demand too much from you? I want to have a machine that helps Babylon to prosper... give me a device that's able to create rain, or to turn sand into diamonds! Understood? Now..."

Her look wandered over to Mic-Hiru. "You are my final hope, Mic-Hiru," she said in a pleading voice.

The turquoise-haired scientist suddenly wasn't too sure about her own idea anymore. She came up with a vehicle that had the ability to move on its own, only with the help of steam... but in the end, she questioned her own invention. And what if the queen didn't like that idea either?

"Well, talk!" Hakurabi impatiently said. "Didn't you think hard enough?"

"Well, to tell you the truth..." Mic-Hiru carefully spoke up.

The queen stared at her. "Don't tell me you didn't think of anything!"

"Um, actually..."

"That cannot be! Mic-Hiru!" The queen whined. "Don't tell me that this is true! You were my last hope. It was your idea after all. Do you have to make me suffer like this?"

"W-wait, um, actually... I just got an idea, my queen."

"You did?" Hakurabi asked hopefully. "What is it?"

Mic-Hiru giggled nervously. "It's, um... a machine that improves your ability to think."

The queen could only sweatdrop, while Mak-Oto tried very hard not to laugh out loud.

----

Over the next following days, Mic-Hiru's machine was in construction, and Mak-Otos mood didn't actually improve... as she still had to care for the pansies.

But then, it was finally finished: An enormous apparatus that was designed to look like a golden sun, with a big amount of glass panels alongside its front, looking very much like mirrors.

As the machine was placed in the middle of the Hanging Gardens, Mak-Oto also got the additional job to make any necessary adjustments whenever the machine's power was needed.

Mic-Hiru gestured at several handles. "See, here? This is how you tilt the mirrors. The more they are tilted, the more the rays of the sun will increase our mental capacities. Understood?"

"Understood," the gardener nodded.

"But, you have to remember one thing," the head researcher said while raising her index finger. "Never push the handle completely down! Who knows what would happen... the consequences could be dire."

'I see...' Mak-Oto thought to herself. 'The more the mirrors are tilted, the more likely will the researchers be able to think up something to satisfy the queen... and I can make sure that my beloved gardens from once will return.'

"What are you thinking about?" Mic-Hiru wondered when she saw the gardener's thoughtful expression.

"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing! Everything's fine, Mic-Hiru!"

The scientist nodded. "Okay then... I'll leave the controls to you. I think I'll join my colleagues, as we give the pansies another try."

Shortly after, Mic-Hiru was standing in front of the machine with Reih-Ino and Us-Agi, each one of them holding a single pansy in their hand.

Reih-Ino put her hand upon her forehead. "I can feel it... I can feel a great enlightenment coming."

Us-Agi and Mic-Hiru gasped in awe when suddenly, a tiny object appeared over the black-haired scientist's head.

"This is it! This is it!" Reih-Ino said in excitement, as she gestured at the small light bulb that was hovering above her head.

"Interesting..." Mic-Hiru muttered. "It seems like the machine's influence actually shows us a vision of the inventions of the future. I didn't expect that sort of reaction..."

"Wait, I believe I feel something too..." Us-Agi muttered, while closing her eyes.

When she opened them and looked up, she saw another light bulb, but bigger than the one hovering over Reih-Inos head.

She grinned. "Mine is bigger than yours," she chanted and stuck out her tongue.

"Very mature, meatball head..." Reih-Ino muttered.

Mic-Hiru then winced as a sharp pain went through her head. "Wait... I believe I feel something as well..."

The three researchers gasped in shock when they saw the enormous, boulder-sized light bulb hovering over their heads.

"What the...?" Reih-Ino blurted out.

"Awesome!" Us-Agi gasped.

"Oh my..." Mic-Hiru gulped. "That... is a little bit too big, I think."

But that wasn't the biggest surprise her vision was giving them.

All of a sudden, the giant contraption above their head began to slightly lower itself, then it came descending faster, until...

"It's falling down!" Us-Agi shrieked. "Quick, run away!"

The three Babylonian women quickly dove for cover, while the titanic light bulb came crashing down and exploded in a shower of glass shards.

Us-Agi shivered when she and the other two looked up from the ground. "What... what happened?"

"I fear the worst..." Mic-Hiru whispered. "I believe that someone just pushed the lever down completely."

"And... what's happening now?" Us-Agi asked.

The head researcher gestured above the younger girl's head, where a strange vehicle with two wheels started to appear. "Now we are witnessing the realization of all our ideas and inventions..." she groaned.

"You gotta be kidding!" Reih-Ino screamed, just before a toaster appeared out of thin air and dropped down on her head.

All over the Hanging Gardens, they could now hear the screams and shouts of everyone who was unfortunate enough to be near the enormous mirror machine.

"HELP ME!" Mak-Oto screamed as she came running past them. "I'm being chased by some rabid lawn-mowing device!"

And just as she had passed the two stunned (and one clonked out) scientists, a red blur zoomed after her, something they would have recognized as a lawnmower, would they be living in the 21st century.

Mic-Hiru looked around in horror as all over town, people were struggling with unfamiliar machines and contraptions that weren't even supposed to exist in their century.

"What have we done?" she whispered to herself.

----

"In the end, the Hanging Gardens collapsed under the weight of the unusual amount of technology placed upon them," Setsuna explained while putting away her spoon. "It really took me some time to cover up what happened back then, as I was watching it from the future. At last, no trace of what happened remained, and even among the descendants of the Babylonians, it remained a mystery just what happened to the Hanging Gardens."

Luna shook her head. "That story sounded even crazier than the first one," she muttered. "And you wanna tell us that all of this actually happened?"

Setsuna shrugged. "Well, am I the guardian of time or not?"

"I'm surprised Usagi's Babylonian incarnation didn't collapse under the weight of an ice cream machine," Rei teased.

"And what happened to all of those machines?" Ami asked. "If you 'cleaned up' after that incident, where did you put all of those inventions?"

Setsuna smirked. "Let's say that it helped me to acquire some nifty things that would otherwise way too expensive in our century. Being the guardian of time sometimes has its advantages."

"And the poor gardener?" Makato asked. She felt sorry for her previous incarnation. "Did the queen ever forgive her for what happened because of her?"

When she saw the Senshi of Time nod, she felt relieved.

Setsuna then smirked. "Well, but she had to hold out on top of the highest ziggurat, until Hakurabi calmed down again."

The other laughed, while Makoto could only frown.

"I believe I need to have a word with Haruka veeery soon," she grumbled.

"And what is the next story about?" Minako asked in anticipation.

Setsuna smirked. "Let's talk about that... in the future."

"You mean, during the next course?" Artemis licked his lips as he already looked through the menu again.


	4. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

"Before I get started with the next chapter of my tale," Setsuna spoke up. "I'd like to wait for our other two guests."

"Which guests?" Usagi asked curiously.

Before Setsuna answered, the door to the restaurant opened and a too familiar voice shouted: "We're here, Setsuna-mama!"

Usagi groaned as she saw Hotaru and her best friend come over to their table, her oh-so-beloved daughter of the future, Chibiusa. That spore was the last thing she needed.

Luna frowned. "You're not still mad at her, are you?"

"Mad?" Usagi huffed. "No, I'm not mad. I actually love it that she put too much detergent into the washing machine this morning, and that Mom blamed me for the incident as well."

"Well, you were supposed to watch her..." Luna began, but decided to close her mouth for now. The way Usagi was glowering at her, she decided she wanted to keep the rest of her lives for today.

Chibiusa grinned as she and Hotaru reached the table. "Hi, everyone!"

Makoto scooted over so Chibiusa had a place to sit next to her on the bench, while Hotaru pulled another chair at the table to sit next to Setsuna.

"Hey, you two!" Rei greeted them. "Let me guess: It isn't just a coincidence that you came as well, right?"

Hotaru shook her head. "Nope. Setsuna-mama promised us to tell a neat story."

Chibiusa nodded. "Yeah, something about the Seven Wonders of the World... we didn't miss anything, did we?"

Setsuna felt slightly guilty. "Well, I expected you to show up a little bit earlier, so I already told them the first two parts..."

Chibiusa glared at the green-haired woman. "I expected better of you, Puu!" she finally said.

"Gomen nasai!" Setsuna replied apologetically and lowered her head.

Hotaru patted her back. "It's okay, I already heard the story when you told it to Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa. As long as you can still tell us the third part..."

"Oh, don't worry, I was just going to begin, but I wanted to wait for the two of you. Your timing really was impeccable."

The waiter came and Setsuna ordered two children's menus for Hotaru and Chibiusa, then she began the third part of her tale...

----

A long time ago, in ancient Greece, there was a beautiful valley, situated near the town where the Olympic Games were being hold, Olympia. The valley was being flanked by two mountains, each of them having a small domicile on top.

On the western peak, a small gang of bandits, known as the 'Olympian Furies' was living...

"WHAAAAAAAH! WHAAAAAAH!"

Reis winced as she put her hands over her ears, to block off the infernal crying of the youngest member of the household. "Can't you just switch her off?" she grumbled.

Her friend Minas shook her head. "Sorry about that, but you know how babies are: Whenever they want attention, they have to cry."

The third member of the gang was standing at the table and prepared some porridge in a small bowl. "I believe you are way to stern with the little darling," Makos said. "In my opinion, she's the most adorable cutie ever."

She took the bowl and a spoon and looked over the tiny form of the pink-haired infant that was sitting in the crib. "Isn't that right, honey?"

The baby girl just gurgled something in baby talk and angrily hit the bowl with her tiny, but furious little fists, so that the whole porridge got splattered over Makos' face.

A frown appeared on the pony-tailed thief's face, which quickly turned into a grimace of anger. Reis and Minas quickly grabbed their friend and pulled her away from the child.

"Lemme go!" Makos snarled. "I'm gonna teach that little tyke a lesson!"

"Just what's going on here?" a stern voice shouted as the door to the next room opened, and the final member of the bandit gang entered.

The other girls gulped nervously upon seeing their leader. "Um, hi there, Amis... We weren't doing anything, I swear," Reis quickly said. The other two girls nodded.

"You know I'm brooding over a big problem," Amis sternly said. "I have to find a solution, or everything has been in vain."

"But... we have still many years until the big event," Minas protested.

"I know, but I will need even more years if I'm always pestered by your racket. Now, keep it quiet, okay?"

That said, the blue-haired bandit leader went back into her own room to take care of whatever problem she was dealing with.

"I just remembered..." Minas suddenly said. "We don't even have a name for our little adoptive child."

"Oh! You're right!" Reis said and started thinking. After a while, she snapped her fingers and grinned. "Regarding what we have planned for her, we should call her 'Chibiusas Runas'."

Makos chuckled. "Good idea."

Then she winced in pain, as Chibiusas bit into one of her fingers, which she had carelessly put into the baby's crib.

----

In the small shack on the eastern mountain, the infamous cat burglar Harukas and her love interest Michiris were living.

Harukas just came home, carrying a sack full with glittering jewels and grinned. "Just take a look at the booty I collected today."

Michirus smiled. "Wonderful, love! Dinner will be ready in a while."

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by the cry of a baby:

"Whaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Michiris sighed. "It looks like the small one has awakened."

"So I noticed," Harukas grumbled. She looked over to the blanket, on which the tiny, purple-haired baby was lying. "Once and for all, stop that infernal yelling, or help me I'll..."

"Now, now, Harukas..." Michiris scolded. "Stop that! She's just a baby, after all."

She smiled down at the baby. "Isn't that right, honey?"

The baby blinked at her... and then bit into the finger Michiris was offering her.

"OW! You little..."

Harukas laughed. "Now, now, Michiris! She's just a baby, right?"

"Will you two calm down here?" a grim voice called from the corner of the room, where a green-haired woman was sitting at her own table. It was Setsunas, the former advisor of the king of Olympia and designated traitor to the throne.

"It's not our fault the brat keeps on yelling," Harukas grumbled. "What are you bitching about anyway? We still have much time, you know?"

"But my preparations will take some time, you know that. And it would help if you would not make as much noise as you do."

"All right, Setsunas," Harukas sighed. "We'll stop being noisy, and you stop nagging."

"Fine with me," Setsunas proclaimed and returned to her studies.

Michiris massaged her hurt finger. "What do you think, what name should we give her?"

"Hmmm... if you think about what our plans with the girl are... let's call her 'Hotarus Hopas'."

"Good idea!" Michiris giggled.

----

And so, even in their cribs, the two girls didn't know what their foster parents had planned... and that one day, they would be the most skilled Olympic athletes of all times.

And that their friendship would one day be the birth of one of the Seven Wonders of the World...

----

Eight years later...

Humming to herself, Chibiusas Runas came strolling down the footpath of the mountain on which top the cottage of her foster parents was situated.

When she reached the end of the trail, she looked around the beautiful scenery around her. She smiled when she heard the singing of the birds and the buzzing of the bees. She took a deep breath... it smelled like spring.

That's when her gaze fell upon the big tree standing in the middle of the valley, right between the eastern and the western mountain. A small girl that looked like she was about her age, with short, purple hair, was sitting in front of the tree, whistling to a small songbird that was sitting on her finger.

Chibiusas came closer and waved in greeting. "Hello."

Hotarus Hopas looked at her and smiled. "Hello. You wanna sit down next to me? The grass is really soft here."

Chibiusas smiled as well. "Sure."

They sat down next to each other for a while and did nothing but to listen to the voices of nature.

Finally, the little bird on Hotarus' finger chirped softly.

Hotarus giggled. "Really, do you think so?"

"What did she say?" Chibiusas asked curiously.

Hotarus winked. "She said your hairstyle reminds her of the ears of a rabbit."

Chibiusas frowned, then touched the pink, cone-shaped tips of her unusual hairstyle. "Hmm, she might be right about that..."

The two girls looked at each other and laughed.

"You're really nice," Chibiusas then said. "What's your name?"

Hotarus smirked. "My name is Hotarus Hopas."

Chibiusas blinked. "Strange name... I am Chibiusas Runas."

"You know, that's also a strange name," Hotarus pointed out.

The pink-haired girl chuckled. "I suppose that's true... Hey, you wanna play hide and seek?"

"Sure," Hotarus nodded.

From that day on they were friends.

----

Hotarus and Chibiusas quickly became close friends over the following days, playing all day long. They always came up with ideas for new games, and as both of the girls were quite acrobatic, many of those games involved physical activity, such as running, jumping, climbing and swimming.

After two months have passed, they were once again standing under the tall tree between the two mountains.

Chibiusas looked up to the green treetop and pointed upwards. "You wanna climb that tree?"

"Sure," Hotarus nodded. "Everything looks so much nicer from above."

They effortlessly climbed up the tall trunk and romped through its branches, while laughing.

During a short break, they saw down next to each other, on two adjacent branches. Their old bird friend sat down next to Hotaru and chirped something.

"What did she say?" Chibiusas asked.

Hotarus smiled. "She said today is a good day for collecting beech nuts."

Chibiusas shrugged. "Well, if she says so..."

The little bird then looked around and chirped something else.

Chibiusas looked at her friend inquiringly. "Well?"

"She said that she can see two nasty-looking women coming down the mountains."

"WHAT?"

"Oh dear!" Hotarus sighed with realization. "You don't think they are coming to get us, are you?"

"Oh no..." her friend muttered. Suddenly, she slipped and fell. "WAH!"

"Look out, Chibiusas!" Hotarus gasped in surprise. Luckily, Chibiusas already was an athletic girl at the tender age of nine, and was able to land with a rolling motion, which was cushioning her fall tremendously.

When she looked up, she saw the angry face of Reis staring down at her. "What are you doing?" the black-haired thief grumbled. "How often did I tell you not to play with that no-good?" She gestured upwards, to where Hotarus was still sitting among the leaves.

Meanwhile, Harukas came marching up to the tree's trunk. "Come down here this instant!" she angrily shouted up to Hotarus. "I thought I told you not to play here anymore!"

Hotarus hesitantly obeyed and came climbing down. Harukas glared at her. "Don't let me catch you playing with that tramp again!"

When hearing this, Reis instantly turned around to face the blonde cat burglar. "You're insulting my Chibiusas?"

"And you my Hotarus?" Harukas shot back. The two women looked like they were ready to go at each other's throats, when suddenly, a voice shouted from the top of the eastern mountain: "Harukas! Hotarus! Are you two coming? Lunch is ready!"

Harukas frowned, but stepped back and firmly grabbed her protege's hand. "Well, you're lucky that we have to go now."

"No, you're the lucky one!" Reis shouted back, before grabbing Chibiusa's arm and dragging her along.

"Ow! Reis, you're hurting me!"

Reis didn't respond until they reached the peak of the western mountain. There, Reis forcefully put down the girl on the wooden bench in front of their house. "How did you get on that tree?" she asked dangerously. "Did you do the Forbidden Thing?"

"No, no!" Chibiusas said and shook her head. "I promise I didn't!"

"Well, I hope so for your sake," Reis grunted. "Just so you know, the training for the big event will start tomorrow, understood?"

Hotarus was given a similar treatment.

"Why can't I play with Chibiusas?" the purple-haired girl whined. "She's my best friend!"

"I don't want to hear that!" Harukas snapped. "From tomorrow on, the two of you are enemies, got that?"

What was Hotarus supposed to say in this situation? She simply nodded, sadly.

----

Chibiusas ran along the edges of the circular yard in front of her foster parents' house, wheezing and panting.

After a while, she slowed down. "I... I can't keep it up anymore..." she groaned, breathing heavily. Sweat was pouring down her skin, and her legs were shaking.

She went over to the bench and let herself fall down on the wooden surface with a sigh. "Hopefully they won't notice if I take a little break..."

She closed her eyes and drew breath. Non-stop running for almost an hour was tiring her out. She was surprised that she hasn't collapsed by now.

"Chibiusas! Are you slacking off again?"

'Oh no!' the pink-haired girl thought. 'Busted!'

Makos frowned as she walked over to her young protege. "Remember, you have to push yourself to your limits if you want to be a true champion."

"But... but this is too straining, Makos!" Chibiusas complained. "Can't I rest for a second?"

"Listen up, girl!" Makos said in a stern voice. "We haven't raised you to be a failure. We have raised you to be a first class athlete."

"I know..." Chibiusas sighed.

"Think about the statue that will be erected in the honor of Zeus." Chibiusas saw a proud smirk appearing on her brown-haired trainer's face. "And it will be the spitting image of the winner of the Olympic Games. Just think about the glory you'll achieve!"

It was a tempting image. Chibiusa pictured it in her mind: Her own statue looking down at the cheering crowd, while her right hand is gesturing up into the clear sky, towards Mount Olympus, where the gods are residing...

But suddenly, the picture in her imagination changed... There was still an impressive statue standing on display, but its face... it wasn't the face of Chibiusas. It was that of her friend, Hotarus...

Chibiusas frowned when she looked up at her guardian and trainer. "You know what? I don't care about that stupid statue! I wanna see my friend again!"

"WHAT?" Makos shouted in surprise. "Listen up, you little runt!" She grabbed the younger girl by her collar. "Amis has worked on improving your abilities since you were a few weeks old. I suppose you don't want to disappoint her, do you?"

Chibiusas gulped. "N-no... of course not!"

Makos pushed Chibiusas back, so the girl landed on her behind. "You better win in the games. The big prizes will be gold, tax exemption and a big statue. So you better do your best!"

"Alright already," Chibiusas sniffed as she stood up from the ground. "I'll do my best, I promise."

"Good," Makos grumbled. "And you better not try and do the Forbidden Thing!"

Chibiusas sighed one last time before she continued with her laps around the yard. She wanted to do her best, as the Olympian Furies were the only family she knew. And she wanted to make them proud.

'I'm gonna win!' she told herself. 'I'm gonna win in the Games, and then they'll make a statue with my face on it.'

But during all her training exercises, she could not stop thinking about her purple-haired friend, and she somehow had the feeling that Hotarus was living through a similar treatment...

----

Five years later...

The grand arena of Olympia was crowded with hundreds of spectators that were anxiously awaiting the start of the big event: The Olympic Games!

Colorful flags of all colors were waving in the wind, and the sound of trumpets and fanfares was echoing all over the place.

And then he arrived... the torchbearer with the Olympic Flame. Raising the torch high above his head, the young man ran up the stairs leading to the bigger torch. He turned around one last time to the audience... and then he lowered the torch and lit the Olympic Flame, signaling the beginning of the Games.

High up in the box of the Olympic Committee, King Uminos of Olympia rose from his seat and spread his arms.

"I hereby declare the Olympic Games open."

A deafening amount of cheers were coming from the spectators' seats. The king waited until the crowd calmed down a bit before he proclaimed:

"I have to express my gratitude to our sponsors, the matriarch of Olympia's biggest merchant family... Usagis Tsukinos!"

He gestured to his left, where a blonde woman with long, blonde pigtails was standing, next to an attractive, dark-haired man.

Usagis smiled and waved to the crowd.

"We managed to sell thousands of tickets for this event," her husband Mamorus whispered into her ear, smugly. "With one catch, though..."

The king spoke up again: "She donated a whole sack of gold coins, along with the statue for the winner."

"Yes..." Usagis sighed. "That's the catch..."

After his speech, King Uminos sat down next to his wife, the lovely Queen Narus.

"This is what the people want," he grinned. "Bread and Circuses."

The queen smiled at her husband. "This isn't quite what I'd call a 'circus', dear..."

----

Meanwhile, the athletes were getting ready for the first discipline: The Stadium Sprint.

Among the runners were also two sixteen-year-old girls, each of them wearing the blue shirts of the athletes.

When the runners got the signal to go at the starting line, the purple-haired participant turned around her head to smile at the pink-haired girl that was standing next to her.

"Good to see you again."

Chibiusas smiled back. "Thanks. I'm glad, too."

The judge was raising his flag. "Ready?"

----

Loud cheers could be heard from the spectator's ranges, especially from the two benches were - coincidentally - the two 'families' of the two girl champions were sitting.

"All right!" Minas cheered. "Did you see that? Our Chibiusas is already leading... OW!"

The blonde thief angrily rubbed her back, where another, short-haired blonde just kicked her. "Shut up!" Harukas shouted. "Don't you see that our Hotarus is gonna win?"

"As if!" Makos grumbled. "I didn't train our pink girl for nothing, you hear me?"

"Oh, so you trained her, then?" Setsunas mocked. "I should have known... the way she's wobbling all over the track..."

"You take that back!" Makos jumped up from her seat, ignoring the upset shouts of the other spectators all around them.

The confrontation was forgotten, when suddenly, everyone else in the stadium started cheering.

"What? What?" Amis shouted excitedly as she tried looking through the waving crowd. "Who was it? Who came through first?"

----

The members of the Olympic Committee weren't the only ones to be stunned with surprise.

"A draw!" Uminos finally gasped. "Those two girls came through at the same time. Unbelievable! Honey, who are those athletes?"

Queen Narus looked at the list of participants. "It says here their names are 'Chibiusas Runas' and 'Hotarus Hopas'."

"Weird names," Usagis Tsukinos spoke up. The odangoed tradeswoman looked down into the stadium, to the finish line, where the two girls were standing next to each other, each of them smiling proudly.

"Why are they smiling at each other?" Usagis then murmured. She frowned. "And why do I have this feeling of... resentment, each time I look at the pink-haired girl...?"

----

Hotarus and Chibiusas continued to amaze the people of Olympia, along with the king and the other committee members.

The next discipline was the javelin throw... and both of them reached the exact same throwing distance. And that was just the beginning.

They reached the same distance at the Long Jump, the same height at the high jump, the same throwing distance at the hammer throwing...

And the strangest thing was... the two girls didn't exactly act like the fierce rivals they seemed to be. They were always together at the start... and reached the goal together. And each time they both won the same discipline, a close watcher could see the happy smiles they were giving each other, every time they reached their goal.

----

Finally, the final event of the Olympic Games was starting... the marathon!

But, in the end...

"I don't believe it!" Queen Narus shouted in awe. "Those girls did it again! They ran through the goal at the same time!"

Her husband shook his head. "Impossible! This never happened before. What shall we do? We can't possibly declare them both to winners."

"Let's ask Ryos Urawas!" the queen suggested.

"Who is that, your Majesty?" Usagis asked curiously.

Narus smiled. "Urawas is a wise man with an exceptional skill: He can clearly remember everything that he has seen in his life... every single detail."

"Impressive!" Mamorus remarked.

The king nodded. "Yes, he calls it his 'photographic memory'."

While the king and queen walked over to the wise Urawa's chair, the merchant couple was exchanging confused looks.

"Photographic?" Usagis whispered. "What's that supposed to be?"

Her husband shrugged. "Beats me. I never heard that word before."

Meanwhile, the king and queen stepped in front of the wise man. Urawas was exceptionally young for someone of his reputation.

"Greetings, wise Urawas," King Uminos addressed the young, brown-haired man. "I suppose you have seen the marathon, correct?"

Urawas smiled. "Of course, your Majesty!"

"Well, could you tell us who reached the goal first?"

"That should be no problem, your Majesty. Just a moment, please..."

He closed his eyes and raised his hand to his forehead. He seemed to be concentrating on something. The royal couple was waiting patiently.

Suddenly, Urawas gasped, and his eyes opened. "Oh my..." he mumbled.

"What?" the king asked. "Did you see it? Who won the race?"

Urawas sadly shook his head. "I'm sorry, your Majesty... but the marathon was simply too long. I'm ashamed to admit it... but I can't tell you the real winner."

Uminos groaned and nearly collapsed against the wall in anguish, wouldn't his wife catch him gently. "That can't be possible!" he sighed.

----

In the end, the king had no choice: He had to declare both girls to the winners of the Olympic Games.

And that would mean the Tsukinos family would have to donate two sacks of gold and two statues for the winners.

While Mamorus was trying to arouse his passed-out wife, the judges were leading the two girls to the podium of the awards ceremony.

The king started to recite a long speech to the audience, in which he praised the athletes and talked much about the glorious contests, and how they they would honor the gods.

Meanwhile, Chibiusas and Hotarus tried to look totally inconspicuous, but they couldn't help but giggle.

"Everyone was wondering how we managed to be equal in every single contest," Chibiusas whispered.

"Yes," Hotarus whispered back. "No one noticed that we did it on purpose..."

Meanwhile, their legal guardians got impatient with the king's long speech.

"Oooooh, shut up already," Reis hissed under her breath.

"Yeah, show us the money already," Harukas grumbled.

----

While listening to the endless monologue of the king, Chibiusas almost fell asleep, if not for Hotarus, who suddenly pulled at her friend's sleeve.

"Wha... what's wrong?" Chibiusas muttered.

Hotarus looked up into the sky with a smile, where they could see a small bird flying. "See that? Isn't that our old friend?"

"Hey, you might be right," Chibiusas said with glee. "What d'ya say? Shouldn't we go see her, after all those years?"

Hotarus frowned. "I don't know, Chibiusas... you know that the ceremony is starting soon."

"Aw, c'mon, I don't think the king will end his boring speech very soon."

"Well, I suppose you're right," Hotarus nodded.

The two girls sneakily climbed off the podium, while everybody else was paying attention to the king.

They followed the flying bird to the edge of the stadium, where they could see her landing in a small nest that was situated among the marble pillars.

"Now how are we going to go up there?"

"No problem!" Chibiusas smirked and prepared to jump.

"Stop, Chibiusas!" Hotarus suddenly said. "You know we aren't supposed to..."

Her pink-haired friend smirked at her. "Hey, no one's watching, right? Only this once, okay?"

Meanwhile, the king was nearing the conclusion of his speech: "...and in the end, I am happy to say that..."

"Oh my god! Would you look at THAT!" someone in the audience suddenly shouted.

Everyone, including the king, turned around... and they didn't believe their eyes when they saw the two girls with the pink and purple hair jumping on top of the pillars that were standing at the edge of the stadium... effortlessly as if they would just hop over a small creek.

"How are they able to DO that?" the queen whispered.

"Those two little rascals..." Setsunas groaned.

"Of all the untimely moments, they just had to do the Forbidden Thing now," Amis sighed.

"Quick, let's get out of here!" Minas shouted nervously.

"For once, I agree with you guys," Harukas nodded.

"Stop right there!" the king shouted. "Guards, stop them!"

----

A few minutes later, the Olympian Furies, alongside with Setsunas' little gang, were standing in front of the king, guarded by his soldiers. Chibiusas and Hotarus were standing on the podium again, a little bit ashamed and uncertain.

King Uminos stared down at the green-haired woman in front of him. "To see you again, Setsunas... I should have known that you would just leave town, right?"

"I have every right to let my protege take part in the Olympic Games," Setsunas spat back.

"Yes, but not if she's doped. You don't need to hide it anymore, Setsunas. I see it in your face. And the young Chibiusas has been getting a similar treatment, correct?" His face wandered over to the blue-haired bandit leader.

"It's true," Amis finally admitted, realizing that the game was up. "Chibiusas' body has been 'supercharged' by ancient magic."

"Same with Hotarus," Setsunas said in a gruff voice. "It took me so many years to find something that would turn her into a super athlete..."

"And in the end, you found it?" Uminos assumed.

Setsunas nodded. "After you exiled me, I traveled to the ruins of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon... and there, I found a stone tablet that told me about a vision of of their scholars had. It was a vision about a human girl that possesses superhuman strength, with the help of ancient magic. I also found a strange wand that allowed me to embed this power in Hotarus' body."

Amis stared at the green-haired woman in disbelief. "You too? Damn, I should have known..."

"That means you girls have to be disqualified," Queen Narus said to Chibiusas and Hotarus. "You understand why we have to do this, yes?"

"Yes..." Hotarus sighed.

"We understand," Chibiusas groaned.

"As for you..." the king said with a grim voice as he looked down at the two gangs of criminals. "Thank you for coming here! My soldiers have been searching for your hideouts for some time now. You saved us the trouble looking for you."

"Good going, Amis!" Reis grumbled. "What did you say again? 'They won't know it's us'? Yeah, right..."

"Take them away!" the king ordered, and his guards shoved the female criminals out of the stadium.

Usagis Tsukinos sighed. "What a relief," she said to her husband. "Now we don't have to pay for anything..."

Uminos heard that and approached her with a smirk. "Oh, by the way... I decided that, for the next Olympic Games, the winner shall receive a golden medal."

Usagis whined. "You have to be kidding me..."

"Um, what about us?" Chibiusas shyly spoke up. "Do we have to go to prison as well?"

"Of course not, my dear!" the queen said. "We realize that you two have been forced by your 'foster parents' to do all of this."

The king frowned. "The only question that remains is: Who's gonna care for them now?"

His wife smiled. "Dear, what do you say if we take care of Hotarus from now on?"

King Uminos smiled back at her. "You know I can't refuse any request of yours. Very well, from this day on, Hotarus Hopas shall be our adoptive daughter."

"Y-you mean it?" the purple-haired girl asked with joy. "Oh, this is wonderful! Chibiusas, did you hear that?"

Her friend hugged her. "I'm happy for you, Hotarus!"

"And you, Chibiusas Runas..." the king continued. "You shall be entrusted to the care of the Tsukinos family."

"Hooray!" Chibiusas shouted.

"WH-WHAT?" Usagis screeched in disbelief. "Oh, why me...?"

"Come now, honey," Mamorus said as Chibiusas hugged her new 'father'. "It won't be that bad."

Just then, one of the king's soldiers interrupted the scene as he reached the podium, clutching two old stone tablets to himself, along with two strange-looking wands.

"Y-your Majesty," he said, out of breath. "W-we found this in the huts of Setsunas and the Olympian Furies."

"Ah, those must be the Babylonian tablets they found among the ruins," the king said. "And those magical wands. "Hmmm, let's see if I can translate the titles, at least..."

He looked closely at the title of the first stone tablet. He frowned and afterwards, took a look at the second tablet.

"Future History of Sailor Saturn... Future History of Sailor Chibimoon..."

Usagis laughed. "Who's that supposed to be?"

Queen Narus shrugged and giggled. "Who knows, maybe one day, some heroes with such silly names will exist."

----

"And that about sums it up," Setsuna concluded the third story. "The king decided that he would, instead of a statue that looks like one of the two girls, a statue that would look like the mighty Zeus himself."

"You want to tell me that those were the wands we use today to transform into our Senshi forms?" Hotaru whispered, as the waiter was pretty close to them. "Wow..."

Setsuna nodded. "Yes, it took me some effort to cover every part of this story..."

Usagi frowned. "Wait a minute, Setsuna... I thought you told us that you managed to dispose of everything the Babylonians left behind from their crazy experiments."

Setsuna blushed. "Well, I am only human, you know? I suppose I must have overlooked those stone tablets... Well, at least I was able to secure them later on, them and the two Senshi wands."

"And how did the wands get there in the first place?" Chibiusa wanted to know."

Setsuna smirked mysteriously. "Well, maybe we will find out in one of the other stories, huh?"


	5. The Temple of Artemis

"You should consider trying the escalope here," Setsuna said. "It's really good!"

"Don't dodge the question, Setsuna!" Rei frowned. "I asked you if that had been the only time we have been reincarnated as criminals."

"Relax, Minako, it's not like we could choose who we are born as," Ami said.

"You only say that because you got to be the boss..." Minako grumbled.

Usagi shuddered. "Actually, I would have preferred to be part of that bandit gang, if that would have saved me from spending my life with Chibiusa..."

"HEY!" her pink-haired future daughter snapped. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't really have a choice in this matter," Makoto pointed out.

"True, but one life with her is bad enough."

Meanwhile, Luna was pawing through a thick history book with a deep frown.

"Setsuna, I can't find anything in this book that backs up those stories of yours. Are you ABSOLUTELY sure that this is what happened?"

"Of course I am," Setsuna answered in a slightly offended tone of voice. "For what kind of time guardian do you take me? I know how to do my work."

"And how did you manage to make sure that those Senshi wands have never been mentioned once in the history books?"

"Simple: I travelled back in time and snatched the wands out of the Olympian King's treasure room."

"But you were the one that told us you couldn't use your powers..."

"Luna, I only said that I'm not allowed to use my powers if I don't HAVE to. That was an emergency."

Luna furrowed her brows, but didn't say anything else.

"Okay then, if I am right, the fourth wonder is next... Yes, the Temple of Artemis!"

"I KNEW IT!" a certain white-furred moon cat yelled enthusiastically.

"Sssshhhhhh!" Minako hissed. "Are you crazy, furball? Do you want to show the other people in the restaurant that you are a magical mascot that can speak?"

Artemis frowned. "Advisor, not mascot. And I was merely expressing my joy upon hearing that the humans finally realized my supreme magnificence and built me a temple."

With a smug grin on his face, he looked around the table. "From today on, you may call me by the title 'Your Eminence'."

"Dream on," Minako muttered.

"I hate to say it, Artemis," Ami spoke up. "But that Artemis wasn't you."

"NOT?" Artemis was flabbergasted. "Uh, I didn't know there was someone else with that name..."

"Actually, your name comes from that 'person'," Setsuna informed him. "As with the case of Luna, you are also named after a moon goddess. And Artemis was not only the Greek moon goddess, but also the goddess of the hunt."

"WHAT?" the white tomcat yelped. "I've been named after a WOMAN?"

"Artemis, if you would show at least a tiny bit of interest in the old history of the Moon Kingdom, you would know that," Luna scolded.

"Now, not many people know that while the temple had been built to worship the goddess Artemis, it was also used as a place where the people of ancient Greece would listen to the predictions of the Oracle of the Temple..."

"Great..." Luna groaned. "Another non-provable story that no one ever heard of before..."

"Luna, don't interrupt her!" Artemis said with anticipation. "While this may not be my temple, I want to know the story behind this."

"Well..." Setsuna continued. "The position of the Oracle is mostly occupied by a woman that seems to have at least a bit of psychic abilities..."

----

The people of Ephesus and many pilgrims were coming to the big Temple of Artemis like moths to the light.

"I heard so much about Reine, the oracle," a woman gushed.

Her friend nodded. "Me too! That's why I came all this way to let her predict my future. She's never wrong with her predictions."

The fist woman suddenly gasped. On the podium, a pretty, young girl with raven-black hair dressed in an elegant tunic, complete with glittering bracelets and a golden tiara, has appeared. "Oh, look! There she is!"

"What elegance..." the other woman sighed.

Reine, the current Oracle of Ephesus, was actually pretty nervous. She was still very young and all this was pretty new for her. Her old mistress had died recently and left her the honor to work in her place as the new oracle.

For now, Reine managed to do pretty well, but she still was nervous that one day, someone would come back to the temple, to complain that a prediction Reine told him would not have occurred.

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but smile when she looked down at all those happy, hopeful people.

"Well then, who will be the first one to have his future foretold?"

A young man with short hair nervously climbed up the stairs of the small podium and approached the oracle.

Reine smiled reassuringly at him, and they sat down in front of each other. The young oracle grabbed the man's hands and closed her eyes.

"I see happy and harmonious days," she murmured. "But take caution when dealing with financial affairs. You managed to break up with someone, but that makes you free for a new relationship."

She then opened her eyes and nodded. "And that is all I can see."

"Thank you!" the young man said. "Thank you very much!" He walked up to the urn standing next to the podium. "Please, accept this donation to the temple as my token of gratitude."

----

From behind the curtain, the head priest of the temple listened to the jingle of the golden coins and smiled.

"That's how I like it," High Priest Hinos said to himself. "What a sweet melody..." He chuckled. "And all those gullible fools downright throw their money at my granddaughter's feet."

The High Priest was without any doubt a religious man, and he would never do or say anything that might anger the gods.

But that didn't mean that he actually believed the oracles to have psychic abilities. He just assumed that most of Reines recent success was based upon mere luck.

Well, as long as she stayed lucky, he would be the one to savor the results... meaning the income of the predictions.

And hey, the money was still within the family, right?

----

Reine sighed as she stepped up on the temple's podium, several days later.

'Another day, another bunch of 'customers',' she sighed mentally.

She walked up in front of the crowd and asked the first one to come up to her so she could read his future.

----

"See? That's her!" a hushed voice whispered. "All you have to do is to make sure that the crowd will lose faith in her abilities."

The blonde, good-looking man smirked as he turned his attention from his hooded conversation partner into the big hall of the temple, where the young oracle was predicting the people's future.

"Don't worry!" he said smugly. "This will be a piece of cake."

"Hopefully," the mysterious person under the hood hissed. "I paid you enough gold for your job. So don't fail me, Jadeires!"

----

"Thank you, my lady," the elderly woman said gratefully as she walked down the stairs.

Reine smiled as she looked after her. "You're welcome! Well, who's next?"

"I would like to know more about my future," a calm voice spoke up.

Reine looked into the face of the handsome, blonde man and blushed as he gave her a smile that showed off his white teeth.

'Now get a hold of yourself, Reine," the young oracle scolded herself. 'You are the Oracle of Ephesus and can't act like a common farm girl with a crush.'

She gestured at the seat in front of her. "Please, sit down, friend!"

The stranger sat down and she took his hands. "The positive influence of the goddess will grant you luck and financial success..."

Jadeires, known in seven cities of Greece for his slyness, smirked to himself. 'I know,' he thought. 'I'm gonna paid handsomely for this job...'

When the oracle was finished, he stood up and turned around as if he was going to leave. He then looked at the crystal ball, one of the tools Reine was using to see the future.

"My, what a nice sphere," he said with raised eyebrows. "It is made from crystal?"

"Yes," Reine said proudly. "A quartz crystal."

Jadeires smiled as he stepped towards the shimmering sphere. "It's ring has got to sound so pure..."

He raised his knuckles and tapped lightly against the apparent crystal ball...

...and they bounced off with a dull 'pong'.

"What the...?" Jadeires frowned, feigning to be taken by surprise. "What is this? That can't be a real crystal."

"Wh-wh-what?" Reine shouted in disbelief. "But why...?"

Jadeires turned around to face her, looking grim. "I know that the ring coming from real quartz crystal balls sounds more like a 'ping' instead of a 'pong'. This..." He gestured at the sphere resting on the table. "Is nothing but an imitation. Nothing but glass! How can you see the future within that thing?"

"Why you... How dare you?" Reine shouted angrily. "You dare questioning my abilities? I am the Oracle of Ephesus! You believe I can't tell glass from crystal?"

Jadeires said nothing, but instead, picked up the ball from the table and walked at the edge of the podium... where he dropped it.

Everyone within the big hall watched in awe as the shimmering sphere fell down to the floor... where it shattered into hundreds of pieces.

Reine gasped. How could that be? He was right, that had been a glass ball. But she knew the temple had always had a crystal ball, made from quartz. What was going on?

Indignant cries and shouts were coming from the audience.

"I always knew she was a fraud," someone shouted

"I already heard that some of her so-called 'prophecies' did not occur."

"She tricked us all!"

"W... wait a minute..." Reine said nervously. "This is all a mistake..."

"Listen to me, people!" Jadeires said coldly and pointed at the young girl. "This oracle... is nothing but an IMPOSTOR!"

"No!!" Reine yelled. "That's not true!"

But the people didn't want to listen anymore. Angrily, the crowd came closer, some people intent on recollecting the money they had donated.

"IMPOSTOR!" they yelled. "Get her!"

Reine yelped in surprise and escaped through the curtains behind her. Unnoticed to her, or anyone else, the blonde man that had caused the commotion did not take part in the chase, but instead sneaked out of the temple.

He approached one of the temple's entrance pillars, where the mysterious figure emerged from the shadows.

"Well done, Jadeires," the voice hissed. A gloved hand produced a small bag with jingling gold pieces out of the long robe. "Here is your reward."

Jadeires grinned smugly and took the pouch. "It's always an honor to help a priestess of Hera... Lady Usagres!"

----

Reine's grandfather, as the temple's high priest, was able to calm down the angry mob and protect his granddaughter from the furious people. Still, he had to pay compensation before most of the people were satisfied.

When everyone was gone, he angrily looked at his panting grandchild, who was sitting in the back chamber of the temple and sobbed.

"Well, I hope you are happy! Now the people won't ever want to listen to your predictions anymore. Which means I have to find a new oracle for the temple."

"But it isn't my fault," Reine protested. "It was this guy... he said I was a fraud. And then, he broke the crystal ball... but it wasn't a crystal ball, it was made from glass. Somehow... he must have switched them..."

"No excuses!" Hinos grumbled. "From tomorrow on, you'll be serving this temple as a mere acolyte. Hopefully that will open your eyes. You always took these 'abilities' of yours far too seriously. No wonder this ended in a disaster!"

"But grandfather..." Reine said in a shocked voice. "Don't tell me you still don't believe in my abilities..."

"Don't make me laugh!" the high priest huffed. "Predictions... seeing the future... Bah! That's all humbug! You really think the gods can take their time to send a girl like you visions of the future?"

Angrily, he turned around and left his distraught granddaughter behind.

----

In the afternoon, the mood between Reine and her grandfather was still sore.

Reine was just helping one of the other acolytes to prepare the temple for the next day, when one of the lower priests came running, waving around a piece of parchment.

"High Priest Hinos! You have to take a look at this!"

"What's this?" Hinos muttered as he looked up from his work.

The younger priest handed him the parchment. "This is hanging on various walls in town. Seems like someone has heard about what happened today."

Hinos huffed. "Heh, I'm not surprised if the whole town already knows about this." He threw his granddaughter an angry glare.

Afterwards, he looked down at the parchment and read:

'Practiced priestess and skilled sorceress from Vesuvius offers her services for free!'

"Wonderful!" the high priest smiled. "This can be our lifesaver. I was already worried I wouldn't be able to find a suitable oracle for tomorrow."

"But... it doesn't say how to contact her," Reine pointed out, as she looked over her grandfather's shoulders.

"It doesn't say because it's not necessary," a gentle voice suddenly echoed through the room.

The gathered priests and acolytes gasped in surprise, when all of a sudden, a puff of smoke appeared in the middle of the room. Out of it, a beautiful young woman, dressed in scarlet robes and golden jewelry stepped out.

The stranger approached High Priest Hinos with a smile. "I am Lady Usagres from Vesuvius. I have once served in the temples of Hera. Please, allow me the honor to serve as your oracle as from now on."

"Impressive trick..." the high priest murmured. "And a very prompt service, indeed. But why are you in such a hurry?"

The blonde, pig-tailed sorceress smiled. A black cat, that had been hidden within the depths of her robe, slinked along her legs.

"I've heard so much about your famed temple, and it would be a great honor for me to be in your service!"

"Well, what do you know?" Hinos laughed and looked at his granddaughter. "There are young priestesses that have some manners. I can't say that I believe in such things like magic and prophecies yet... but if everyone else does, it is fine by me. You can start your service tomorrow, my lady."

Reine just frowned. Somehow, she didn't like this stranger. Somehow, those eyes of the other priestess were sending chills down her spine...

----

During the following days, Usagres took over Reines previous job... and she did a good job, Reine had to admit. She just had that aura of serenity and happiness around her that attracted all people.

And her grandfather was happy to see that the urn containing the daily donations to the temple was as full as ever.

Still, neither of them would have known that this was all but a cloak of falsehood and treachery, and that the blonde sorceress was actually here for a very special reason.

One week after she started her job, Usagres proudly presented yet another full urn to the happy high priest.

Hinos smiled. "Excellent! You are really doing a great job, Usagres! Reine wouldn't have done it better."

Reine sadly looked up from her work in the background. What she would give to once again stand in Usagres' place...

The priestess smiled. "You are too kind. But, you know, I would actually be able to increase your daily income... I mean, the donations to the temple."

"REALLY?" Reines grandfather asked with glee. "Um, how?"

Usagres smiled. "To create an amulet that allows me to fulfil your dreams, I need to prepare an old ritual, in the middle of the night... and I have to do it in the temple. Alone!"

High Priest Hinos thought about it. Until now, he didn't really believe in such things as magic and miracles. But... he was willing to change his views if that would mean more wealth.

He grinned. "Absolutely no problem, my dear! I will close the temple early today and inform all of the other priests and acolytes, so you will be not disturbed."

"I'll be glad to be of assistance," Usagres said while bowing towards the old man.

Inwardly, she smirked. 'Old fool!' she thought. 'This decision will be the downfall of your little temple... and it will turn into a temple of my real mistress, the goddess Hera!'

----

In the evening, Usagres asked Reine to get her a big cauldron for her ritual, as well as various ingredients.

While Reine was sad that the blonde priestess had taken over her own job as an oracle, she was pretty curious about the ritual itself.

"Um, may I stay and watch you?" she asked, inwardly hoping that she could learn something from it.

"No!" the other girl snapped. Reine was taken aback, but Usagres quickly smiled at her. "No... I'm sorry, but I will need my full concentration for this, and I hate to say it, you would be a distraction."

The black-haired girl sighed. "I understand..."

When Reine and the other acolytes were gone, Usagres sighed in relief. "Finally she's gone... that girl is far too nosy for my tastes."

Her black cat came walking over to her. "Well, she is a true oracle... she could easily realize what we are planning by accident... and she only needs to touch you."

"Let's not hope it will come to that, Lunaria!" the sorceress muttered. "Let's finish this ritual quickly, I can feel that my mistress is getting impatient."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me," Lunaria said as she sat down on the smooth marble floor. "Remember the last time you tried to finish the ritual?" The black cat shook her head. "In a temple of DYONISOS of all places! No wonder it turned into a disaster."

Usagres grimaced. "It was an accident, okay? I mean, a temple is a temple, right? How was I supposed to know that his temple was useless?"

"You are a priestess of Hera, you should have known that any place you want to turn into a shrine of Hera should at least be a temple of another goddess," Lunaria pointed out.

Usagres angrily shoved her cat's face down to the floor. "Do you have to remind me of my failures all the time?" she grumbled. Lunaria mumbled something unintelligible. Usagres sighed. "Doesn't matter... as soon as I have finished this ritual, this temple will belong to Hera!" She chuckled. "And that amulet will turn me into the most powerful sorceress of all times!"

----

Meanwhile, at a faraway place...

A small hut that was situated in a mountainous region of Greece, well-hidden from anyone who didn't know it was there...

"You still don't get it, do you, Artie?"

The white cat huffed. "I only believe what I'm seeing, Miana! And when I look at a box, all I see is a box."

With a frown, the beautiful witch looked up from her experiments and pulled back her hood, revealing long, blonde hair that was being bound by a red ribbon. "I'm telling you, Artie... one day, humans will see the whole world within this box, moving pictures and sounds. With a smaller box, some wires and something resembling a banana, they will be able to talk with each other, even over big distances."

The white cat chuckled at the idea. "I wouldn't believe that if I saw it with my own eyes..." He then snorted. "BWAHAHAHAHAH!"

Miana glared at him. "Laugh while you can! You'll see that I'm right."

"Yeah, right..." Artie chuckled. "If you think your ideas are so great, why don't you bring them to market?"

Miana shook her head. "You know how the people are... they would all laugh at me. I think I will leave the results of my research for later generations of inventors. I have everything I need: Formulas, layouts, and, most important, my pansy seeds!"

"Very funny!" Artie giggled.

Miana tipped against her head. "Everything else I need is in here."

"Is that so? Well, if you're such a great inventor, why don't you make a big bang?"

"Hmmm... not a bad idea, actually!"

And the blonde sorceress pulled out a wooden hammer, which she smacked down on her pet's little head.

----

Meanwhile, in the Temple of Artemis...

"Everything is ready!" Usagres smirked. "Now the show can begin!"

"Are you sure you have everything?" Lunaria frowned. "I hope you didn't forget about the rhinoceros horn and the dragon's teeth, like last time."

"GAH!" the priestess cried and quickly pulled out some small pouches. "I almost forgot about them."

"It's always the same with you..." her black-furred familiar sighed.

"Quiet, you!" Usagres grumbled as she threw the final ingredients into the cauldron.

----

In her hut, Miana was just finishing her own brew.

She nodded in satisfaction as she looked into her own cauldron. "Only a few seconds, and the seeds of wisdom will be ready."

Artie didn't say anything, because his head was hurting...

----

Usagres smirked as she looked into the colorful plumes of smoke that were rising from her mixture. "Look at that, Lunaria! Very soon, my magic will have turned this temple into a shrine for my mistress Hera! Five... four... three... two..."

----

Miana smiled as she fished the pansy seeds out of her elixir. "Okay, out with you and into the chest... Now it's finished!"

But neither of the two blonde sorceresses knew what the other one was doing at the moment.

And in this very rare occurence, their magics mixed with each other, created a magical stream that connected the cauldron within Miana's hut with Usagres' cauldron within the Temple of Artemis, and discharged itself with a bright flash.

"Oh no!" Usagres shouted. "Too much magic!"

She stared down into her empty cauldron in disbelief. "Oh no... Now I have to start from the beginning."

Lunaria shook her head. "Why am I not surprised something like that happened?"

----

Back in the mountain hut, Miana was staring down at her empty hands, which, seconds ago, had just clutched a small chest that contained the special pansy seeds she created.

"I don't understand this..." she muttered. "Where did it go?"

Artie shook his head. "What... what happened?"

She then took a look at her own crystal ball, which was shining brightly. "Hey! Something like this happened before. That time, when Usagres and I tried to combine our magic at the same time..."

She took a close look into her crystal ball... and gasped. "Usagres! Don't tell me she's trying that ritual for Hera again! And look where she is, Artie... it's the Temple of Artemis!"

By now, the old colleague and fellow student of Usagres was very worried. "I have to go there... the head priest won't know in which danger he's in."

She then looked at her empty cauldron again, and at her hands. "But... where did my seeds vanish to? Where are they? They could have easily gone anywhere... and anytime.."

"Seeds?" Artie grumbled. "What are you, a farmer?"

----

"I have no time to lose," Miana said as she walked outside. "Who knows what she'll do once her ritual is complete..."

"Well, how do you plan on getting there in time?" Artie asked.

"I haven't studied the magical arts for nothing, furball," the blonde sorceress grumbled. "Stay back and I'll show you how a real sorceress travels these days..."

She muttered a few words, and suddenly, started spinning wildly, until she was nothing more than just a blur of blonde and red streaks.

Artie blinked in surprise... and because the swirling colors made his eyes hurt. "She never showed me that one before..."

And in a sudden burst of magical powers, the wildly spinning whirligig called Miana took off into the skies, where she vanished among the clouds.

----

Reine sat up in her bed. Something... made her wake up just now. She couldn't place her finger on it, but... she somehow felt a little bit of a... disturbance. As if the temple itself was warning her.

She silently climbed out of bed, tiptoed over to her grandfather's side and shook him gently.

"Grandfather! Grandfather, wake up!"

The high priest growled in his sleep, then he blinked and opened his eyes. "Reine, what the...? Damn, girl! It's the middle of the night, what is it?"

"Well..." the young ex-oracle fidgeted around nervously. "I have a really bad feeling, you know? And do you see this weird flashes coming from the main hall? I have the feeling Usagres is trying to do something horrible..."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Reine!" High Priest Hinos grumbled. "You're paranoid, you know that? There's absolutely nothing wrong about that girl. She's a big help to our temple... wait a minute! Don't tell me you're jealous?"

"Of course not!" Reine blurted out. "Well... maybe a little bit, but that's not it! I can just feel it, grandfather: She is doing something to our temple I know it!"

"Oh, leave me alone with your mumbo-jumbo talk and go back to sleep, girl!"

Reine was about to protest, when they both suddenly heard a strange noise. It sounded almost like a...

They both looked at each other. "A tornado?" they asked at the same time.

Just seconds afterwards, something that was looking like a small, colorful tornado flew through the window of the small chamber, whirling around the two beds and the surprised high priest and his granddaughter for a while, until it finally came to a rest in the middle of the room, where it slowly stopped spinning and turned out to be a cute girl that was dressed in a red cloak and had a red bow in her blonde hair.

"Ooooooh... I'm always getting dizzy after that," she groaned.

Her gaze then fell upon the two stunned people standing near her. "Oh! Sorry about that, but... High Priest Hinos?"

"Um... yes, that's me," the High Priest said in a monotone voice.

"I am Miana, Sorceress of the Circle," she quickly introduced herself with a short bow. "I'm sorry to just barge in like that, but I came to warn you. Usagres... she is not who you believe her to be! She's going to ruin you and your temple!"

"What?" Hinos had to laugh at that. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"I'm serious!" Miana said firmly. "She is planning to create an amulet that is supposed to turn her into an all-powerful spellcaster, and for that purpose, she plans to turn your temple into a shrine for her true goddess: The goddess Hera!"

"Grandfather, maybe she is right," Reine spoke up. "Remember what I said? I could feel that the temple was in danger. Maybe... maybe Artemis herself sent me a warning."

The High Priest shook his head. "Have you girls turned crazy? Look, you can't just come in here and expect me to believe..."

"No time for that!" Miana interrupted. "Where's the altar room?"

"Here, it's this way!" Reine shouted and led the other girl out of the room, leaving the baffled high priest behind.

"Um, hello?" he asked. "Did you actually listened to what I said?"

----

"Okay, let's try this again..." Usagres muttered. "The cauldron is full again, I only have to add the final ingredients..."

"But be careful to make no mistakes this time!" Lunaria reminded her. "You know we are short of rhinoceros horn."

"Hold it right there!" a firm voice suddenly shouted. "Now it's payback time, Usagres!"

"Who? What?" Usagres turned around... and gasped as she recognized the blonde girl that came into the temple's main room, along with the former oracle.

"Miana? But how...? How did you get here?"

"Oh, for the love of..." Lunaria mumbled and crawled under a small table. "As if one clumsy, blonde sorceress wasn't enough... Great Hera, whatever did I do that you punish me like this?"

Usagres and Miana stared at each other. "Don't interfere, Miana! You and the others always wanted me to be one of you 'goody-goodies'... you would never realize what power the great Hera can give me!"

"I do... that's why I can't let you do this! You can't simply go into other diet's temples and make them your own."

Reine sweatdropped. "It's 'deity', not 'diet'..."

Usagres gritted her teeth. "Try and stop me, you, you... you big meanie!"

Lunaria hid her face in her paws. "She can't even give a proper evil speech... Just what kind of Hera priestess are you, Usagres?"

Miana smirked at her former colleague. "Just watch me!"

She uttered a short magical phrase, fell down on all fours... and turned into fearsome lioness!

Usagres laughed. "I can do that, too!" She repeated the phrase and...

...turned into a little kitten.

Usagres blinked. "Meow? Oops, that was a mistake. Let's try this again..."

Another spell... and Usagres grew into a feral tigress.

High Priest Hinos, who just entered the room, gasped. "M-maybe we should let them talk that over by themselves..."

Reine nodded nervously. "Good idea..." They quickly hid behind a pillar, while the two sorceresses started to circle each other...

----

Growling through bared fangs, the tigress and lioness circled each other.

"I'm surprised that you didn't stumble over your own four paws, Usagres," the lioness smirked. "Back when we were still magic students, you always had the worst grades from us all."

Usagres bared her fangs in anger. "And you, Miana?" she shot back. "Weren't you the one who always mixed up the various incantations?"

"Why, you..." the lioness with the red bow in her short mane grumbled. "I'll get you for this!"

With a roar, she lunged at her rival.

Usagres gasped when the heavy body of her enemy pounced upon her, pressing her down to the floor.

Miana grinned. "How do they say, I came, pounced and bit!"

And she opened her muzzle wide, showing off her sharp teeth.

But when she bit down...

"YYYOOOOOOOWWWWLLL!!!"

Miana leapt back through half of the room, trying to wipe away the multiple spines that were sticking in her soft nose.

On the marble floor, Usagres the porcupine giggled. "Looks like someone needs a shave. Oh, and by the way: It's 'I came, saw and conquered'!"

Miana turned back around to face Usagres, whose quills sticked out to all sides, making a direct assault rather difficult.

"Okay, that's it... No one turns my face into a pincushion!"

And with an additional spell, she turned herself into a bulky animal that was covered with hard scales.

The armadillo winked. "Now try to sting me!"

Usagres sweatdropped. Now what?

Miana laughed and started running. "Now you're mine!" And after gaining enough momentum, she curled up into a ball, which continued to roll towards the tiny porcupine.

"Usagres!" Lunaria shouted from under the table. "Think quickly!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying..." the blonde-quilled porcupine muttered. But the only thing that came to her mind was the fact that she was hungry.

That gave her an idea. She waited until the rolling Miana was close and quickly transformed into an anaconda, ensnaring the rolled-up armadillo in her coils.

"You know, since your shell is so sturdy... I'll just swallow you whole."

She licked her lips with her forked tongue. "Yummy!" And then, she opened her muzzle widely.

Miana uncurled, looked up at the approaching snake jaws and gulped. "Mommy..." she squeaked. She quickly transformed into something else and scurried away.

When her jaws closed in thin air, Usagres realized that something was wrong. "Now where is she?" she muttered and looked around.

That's when she heard some snipping sounds. She looked back to where the tip of her tail was... and saw an enormous crawfish with a red bow, brandishing its pinchers.

"Don't you dare!" the anaconda screamed as she realized what her foe was up to.

Miana grinned. "I always told you, it comes to the PINCH!" And then, she pinched the snake's tender tail HARDLY.

"YEEEOOOOOWWWWW!" Usagres yowled. "Unfaaaiiiir!"

She coiled up in a corner of the temple and blew at the swollen tip of her tail. "Oh, now you made me mad."

She muttered another spell, concentrated... and stood up on two legs.

Behind the pillars, Reine and her grandfather gasped in surprise at the view of the amazonian, muscular form of Usagres, wearing a metal armor that was blotched with spikes.

Usagres laughed. "All those animals are getting boring. You'll never stop me like THIS!" And she stuck out her tongue.

The crawfish on the floor seemed to think about that. Then Miana smirked. "Are you sure about that?"

And then she vanished.

Usagres looked around. "Where is she? Hello? Miana? No fair! We're not playing hide and seek!"

"Why don't you go and find me?" a giggling voice that seemed to come from everywhere asked.

Usagres looked around the temple and smiled. "I bet you're hiding within that urn, right?" She looked inside. "Oh, you aren't?"

She grew frustrated. "Miana, come out! It's no fun like that!"

"Well, if you can't see me with your eyes, why don't you try your other senses?"

"Okay..." the pig-tailed sorceress sighed and listened carefully.

"No, not your hearing!" Miana protested. "Try it with your smell."

Usagi sniffed... and gasped.

"No, Miana! That's not fair! You can't do that to me!"

Her rival giggled throughout the temple. "Got it? I turned into a nice smell... your favorite flavor!"

Reine sniffed. "Say, Grandfather... don't you think it's smelling like carrots in here?"

"Carrots..." Usagres whined, pinching her nose. "Eeeewwww! Of all things! Miana, how could you? Stop that! I can't stand that disgusting smell..."

"Do you promise to leave the Temple of Artemis alone?"

"No way!"

Miana didn't respond, but the smell of fresh carrots intensified.

"ACK!" Usagres gasped. "Okay! Okay! I'll do it, I promise!"

Miana giggled in triumph, knowing that a sorceress' word was binding.

Lunaria closed her eyes and whined. "Oh, for Hera's sake... Usagres, you are a pathetic excuse for a priestess, you know that?"

"Well, always better than a cat who doesn't know when to shut up," a voice behind her exclaimed.

Lunaria looked up... and directly into the face of the oracle, Reine.

The last thing she could say before Reine put a big bag over her was: "Oh sh..."

----

"Don't you worry," Miana grinned down at Usagres, as the evil blonde was taken away by the authorities. "You won't die just because of a little carrot scent."

"Meanie!" Usagres shouted again and again, not being able to use her powers correctly because of a collar of carrots that Miana had put around her neck. "Meanie, meanie, meanie!"

"Can someone please make her shut up?" Lunaria groaned from a small cage standing next to the bound sorceress. "How could I ever get to be the familiar of such a crybaby...?"

"Well, we'll take care of her now," one of the city's soldiers said to the High Priest with a salute. "We'll make sure she never bothers you again."

"Just wait a minute before you go," Reine said and walked up to the carriage in which Usagres was sitting. She looked down at the prisoner with a frown.

Usagres glared up to her. "What?" she snapped. "If you want to pity me, I don't need it!"

And suddenly, Reine stuck out her tongue. "That's what you get for taking away my job! Now it's mine again, hahahah!"

Usagres could only growl. "Meanie!" And she stuck out her tongue as well.

----

"Well, you could say that's how the infamous 'tongue wars' between the incarnations of those two started," Setsuna smirked while looking over to Rei and Usagi.

Ami giggled. "I could imagine that."

Rei and Usagi simply huffed.

"So, Reine got back her old job as she said, right?" Minako asked.

"Not exactly... you see, after that magical duel the two sorceresses had within his temple, High Priest Hinos realized he was fed up with magic, oracles and all that stuff... so he decided not to retire. He moved to the country, where he bought a nice little cottage. Reine wasn't too happy with her grandfather's decision, but in the end, she agreed. After that, several other young women tried to fill the job of the Oracle of Ephesus, but none of them really gained the fame of Reine."

"So that's all?" Rei wondered. "End of the story?"

Setsuna nodded. "Yes. Did you expect more?"

"Well, I was only surprised that you didn't mention anything about the construction OR the destruction of this particular wonder."

"Hey, I never said that your previous incarnations were present during the con- and destruction of every single wonder, right?"

"I only wonder how you would explain that there have been cats like Artemis and me back in that time..." Luna muttered. "And from your description, they even looked like us."

"Luna, I won't explain it to you," Setsuna stated.

"Oh? Why?"

"Simple, because nothing I would say would ever satisfy you, am I not right?"

The black cat didn't not what to reply to that.

"Well, I liked the story of the Temple of Artemis, even if I wasn't in it this time," Makoto exclaimed in excitement. "So, what's next?"

Setsuna smiled. "The next is a story that especially Ami will find very interesting... it's the true story of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus!"

"Um, why?" the blue-haired girl asked. "The Mausoleum had never been one of my favorite wonders..."

"Oh, not because of the wonder itself, but because of what happened to the person that had been your incarnation at that time."

"Let's see, she has been an architect and a bandit leader so far," Chibiusa spoke up. "I wonder what she will be in this story..."


	6. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

In the prosperous and noble Harlicarnassus, a rich woman named Amisia was living.

Amisia wasn't the ruler of the city, or even the mayor, but nevertheless, she was popular among the people of Halicarnassus. Born in a wealthy family, she had more than once donated something to the town, may it be a new thermae, a school for the children or maybe some money, to restaurate a few of the older buildings in town.

Among the most famous buildings Amisia had built for the townspeople were the breathtaking towers that could be seen from afar. Ever since Amisia's architects built the first tower, Halicarnassus got famous for these landmarks.

There were some people that held a grudge against her, especially members of other rich families in Halicarnassus, who were envying her popularity.

Among those was a snobby young woman called Viluysia. She came from a family that had been enemies with Amisias family for a very long time now, and she was also pretty spoiled and couldn't stand the thought that Amisias was having more success than her.

So it really was no surprise that one day, Amisia would have to deal with Viluysias payback.

One day, Amisia woke up from a refreshing night's sleep and was ready to start the new day.

Suddenly, she frowned. Why was her bedroom so dark? Her family's palace was constructed in a way that her window was facing east, so the morning sun would shine into her bedroom every morning.

But not this day. Something was blocking the warm and bright rays of the sun.

"This is crazy..." the young noblewoman muttered. "The oracle never said anything about bad weather today..."

She got out of bed and walked to her window. And when she looked out, she quickly saw the reason for the darkness in her room.

"Viluysia..." she groaned. "I should have known it..."

Her silver-haired rival sneered as she looked out of one of the windows that were visible on the western side of the tower she was currently standing in.

A tower that was standing directly in front of Amisias palace.

"Viluysia, what's the meaning of this?" Amisia frowned. "How could you build this tower in front of my window?"

"So you can see the proof of what I've tried to tell the people of Halicarnassus for a long time now: That I can build towers that are at least as beautiful as the ones you are constructing, if not even more so. And you see, the land on which the tower is standing belongs to me."

She was right: The premises of Amisias palace ended just shortly behind the eastern wall, and the land that followed, had belonged to Viluysia for some time now. Previously, a lovely meadow had been there.

"Viluysia, this is ridiculous. We don't have to prove anything to each other."

"Oh yeah?" her rival mocked. "Then you won't mind if I continue to build towers among yours, right? Towers that are MUCH, MUCH bigger and impressive than yours! Bye now!"

And she walked away from her window, leaving behind a bewildered Amisia.

----

"I strongly advise building another tower," Amisias advisor, Mixiru said. "If you stop the constructions, the people will regard it as throwing in the towel, and in the future, everyone will go to Viluysia if they want to have something built."

"But how will that help?" Amisia asked the turquoise-haired woman. "Viluysia won't stop either, and we can't simply keep on constructing towers until they are blocking the sun for every citizen of Halicarnassus."

"If I may, perhaps hiring a more... original architect might give you the advantage," Mixiru suggested.

"You sound as if you have already someone in mind," Amisia said.

"Indeed I have," her advisor nodded. "If I may suggest Unagi..."

"Unagi??" Amisia asked in disbelief. "Um, Mixiru... when you said 'original' I didn't think you would mean 'lunatic'. I mean, Unagi is an old friend, sure, but the last time she ordered a ton of sand, she was surprised when I told her that I wanted a ton of GOLD DUST. And the worst thing was, she even paid the normal price for a ton of gold dust, even though what she bought was the wrong stuff."

"Yes, she is a little bit absent-minded every now and then," Mixiru admitted. "But... she is also one of the most renowned artistic architects ever. Surely you don't want her to work for Viluysia?"

"No, no, of course not," Amisia sighed. "Very well, send her a message."

"I will do so at once." Mixiru bowed, and the two women left the room.

"How very interesting..." one of the pillars standing in the chamber mumbled. "I have to tell that to my mistress..."

----

Later that day, Viluysias most skilled spy, Harukras, was slowly peeling away her incredible pillar costume, while she reported to her mistress.

"No way!" Viluysia said in disbelief. "Amisia actually plans on hiring that dimwit Unagi? Bwahahahah! I don't want to know what that will lead to. Very well, I know what I have to do. You go back into her palace and report anything suspicious to me."

"Um, do I have to go back?" Harukras asked. "It's kinda cramped in that costume..."

----

A few days later...

"This is gonna be my masterpiece, I know it," Unagi sighed proudly as she gazed at the half-finished tower that was situated outside of Halicarnassus. "Amisia was wise to put her trusts in me..."

Nearby, a couple of workers looked up from their work.

"I still can't believe Amisia made us do this," Makrotos grumbled.

"Not so loud," her friend Misako whispered. "Unagi shouldn't know that we only help her because Amisia wants us to make sure that she doesn't screw up."

"Well, but Makrotos is right, she shouldn't have let us work like slaves," Reil groaned. Her back was hurting from pulling the heavy sled with the stones.

"Well, everything looks fine, until now," Makrotos said and took a look at the construction site. "Still, I hope Unagi doesn't make any mistakes..."

"Knowing Unagi, she already did," Reil huffed.

----

In the end, Amisia, Unagi and her helpers were looking at the finished tower.

"A true masterpiece, Unagi!" Amisia complimented.

"Well, I must say, I am rather proud of it," Unagi smiled.

"And that you can be. Later generations will talk of this tower. Just look at those pillars and archways, the windows and the dome at its top... It's perfect!"

"Now Viluysia will think twice before building another tower," Misako grinned. Her friends nodded.

Suddenly, a deep rumbling made them gasp in surprise.

"Wh-what is that?" Makrotos wondered. "Did that rumbling come from beneath us?"

"Don't say it's an earthquake!" Reil said nervously.

Unagi looked around the ground searchingly, and then more vibrations made the ground beneath us shake. "Well, it feels like it," she said. "Although that man who sold me the land assured me it would be absolutely stable and sustainable."

"Oh no..." Amisia groaned. "Don't tell me that man was a follower of Viluysia..."

The rumbling increased, and several pieces of rubble came raining down the tower.

"WATCH OUT!" Reil shouted and pulled Amisia to safety. "The tower... it's tilting!"

Unagi giggled. "Wow! A leaning tower... this is gonna make me famous!"

"Might be," Makotros gulped. "But this one is gonna fall COMPLETELY!"

And as the pony-tailed girl said, the whole tower tilted more and more, until it came tumbling down to the earth, crashing down in a massive pile of rubble.

When it was safe, Amisia and her followers took a look at the collapsed building.

"Well, one thing is for sure," Misako said. "This tower won't impress anyone."

Amisias brow was twitching in irritation as she slowly turned around to face the architect, who got very nervous all of a sudden.

"Unagi... do you suppose a crashed tower may have chances of becoming famous?"

"Um... I dunno," Unagi answered.

"Well, I know one thing," the blue-haired noblewoman said. "You won't ever build anything for me, got it?!"

Angrily, she stormed off. Misako, Makrotos and Reil winced. They never knew Amisia could get cranky like that.

"Uh... was it something I said?" Unagi asked.

----

In irritation, Amisia paced along the streets of Halicarnassus.

"I don't believe it," she grumbled. "That Unagi! I should have known it. What am I supposed to do now? The people will laugh at me for sure. And I don't want to know what Viluysia will say after she finds out..."

She sighed and shook her head. "Well, I just have to find a better architect. He will build me a better tower, and then we can put all of this to an end."

"Hopefully," a raspy voice said. "With all the towers they are building, you won't be able to see the sun in a matter of time."

Amisia turned around and saw an old beggar woman that came towards her on shaky legs, leaning on a knobby cane.

"Well, there is some truth in your words..." Amisia admitted.

"And they are so uninspired," the old woman continued to prattle. It seemed to Amisia that she didn't quite recognize who she was. "One tower looks identical to the other. If they would at least hire a qualified architect..."

While Amisia agreed with the woman's words, she couldn't help but wonder if she really wanted to tell her something, or if she merely liked to prattle.

"Well, um..." she said.

"Just yesterday the great architect Mamorum Mausolos came into town," the woman said. "Everyone heard about it, so why don't they just hire him?"

'Wait a minute...' Amisia thought. 'I already heard of that man. He is supposed to be a true expert in his field.'

"I must go see him before Viluysia does," she muttered to herself. She gave the old lady a quick nod. "Thank you, you really helped me out here. Excuse me, I have to go." And she ran back to her palace.

"Hey, you can't just leave me standing," the beggar woman shouted. "My, how rude!"

----

Within the reception hall of Viluysias palace, the silver-haired aristocrat was talking to her personal spy, Harukras.

"So, she started with the construction?"

Harukras nodded. "Yes, on a massive construction site just outside town. She made extra sure that this time, the ground would be stable. And she hired a big amount of workers to do the job. Within my little pillar costume, I even had to climb a steep hill."

"Very good," Viluysia chuckled. "She will in for a surprise if she realizes just WHAT she paid for. Poor Amisia... I really don't want to be in her place when she finds out."

"But what if she sees the truth before the building is complete?" Harukras asked. "I mean, while it has its similarities, it's final appearance is really not quite like a tower..."

"Don't worry about that!" Viluysia smirked. "When she started it, she will finish it. Or do you think she would spend so much money for nothing?"

----

A few days later, Reil and Misako were sitting next to a sullen-looking Unagi.

"She said she didn't even want me to take a look at the building," the gullible architect griped. "I mean, she could at least give me a chance to redeem myself, don't you think?"

Reil sighed. "Oh Unagi, I hate to say it, but... She really gave you more than enough chances. Giving you the chance of building that tower was almost obliging of her."

"To say it shortly, girl: You. Blew. It." Misako finished.

Unagi looked down. "I guess you're right..." She sighed. "Still, I really wonder how long it will take until this new tower is finished."

"Yeah, that Mausolos guy really is supposed the best of the best," Misako nodded. "If that isn't enough to put Viluysia in place, I really don't know what else will."

All of a sudden, Makrotos stormed into the room. "Guys! Quick, it's Amisia!"

"What?" Unagi asked in surprise. "What happened?"

Makrotos shrugged. "I'm not really sure, but Mixiru sounded as if something has gone horribly wrong. Hurry up!"

----

Shortly after, they were all standing within Amisias private chambers. And, surprisingly, Viluysia was present as well.

The girls took a close look at their rich friend. Amisia really looked devastated.

"I can't believe it..." the blue-haired noblewoman whispered. "After all those preparations... And now I find out that everything was nothing but a hoax... by her!" And she gestured at Viluysia.

Her rival grinned. "Well, I couldn't resist but to tell you about my brilliant plan in person. My performance as an old woman was really something, don't you agree?"

"What did you do?" Makrotos growled. "Is it because Mausolos? Is he a botcher?"

Viluysia just grinned, while Amisia shook her head. "Oh no, he's a brilliant architect, but I didn't really know that the only buildings he can construct are... mausoleums, a certain kind of tombs." She shook her head. "Had I only read the contract more closely…"

Reil gasped. "You wanna tell us... that tower that is constructed outside of town is actually... a tomb?"

Amisia nodded.

Viluysia laughed. "And that's not all, dears! Rumour has it that anyone who builds a tomb without planning to bury a certain person in it... will be fated with misfortune, until the very end of his life."

"I can't believe that," Misako exclaimed.

"I don't know how I could have made such a mistake..." Amisia sighed.

"Can't you just stop the constructions and tear down what has been constructed until now?" Reil asked.

Amisia shook her head. "Impossible, even the rubble would bring me bad luck."

Viluysia winked. "Well, I hope you are satisfied with yourself. See you later, unfortunate soul!"

And with an evil laugh, she left the room.

A few moments later, Mixiru looked into the room with a smile. "She is gone, Lady Amisia!"

Amisia sighed. "Phew, I thought she'd never leave! Then I can stop this charade, finally!"

Unagi blinked in confusion. "Um... did we miss anything?"

Amisia smirked at her friends. "You didn't really expect me to believe anything an old beggar woman would tell me on the streets, do you?"

Her friends looked at each other, shrugging, and decided to let Amisia explain before trying to understand it.

"Well, just when I heard Mausolos' name, something seemed fishy. I acquired all information about him that I could find. And when I heard about the so-called 'curse of misfortune' that all those superstitious people are talking about, I decided to play a little prank on Viluysia. I contacted Mausolos and asked him to build me a mausoleum, but to the public, I said that I was going to let him construct a tower."

"So you knew from the beginning what that building was supposed to be?" Reil asked in awe. "But, uh... what do you intend on doing with it?"

"That's quite easy," Amisia smirked. "On the one hand, I can use this mausoleum as a resting place for my dead ancestors... you all knew that the catacombs below my palace aren't really big enough and that we even had to staple the coffins."

Makrotos whistled. "Nice idea!"

Amisia nodded and grinned. "But the best about all this: Viluysia will finally leave me alone! For now, I will let her believe she has won. And I will finish constructing the mausoleum in peace. And when it's ready, I will announce my TRUE plans to the public..."

Her friends laughed. "Man," Reil snickered. "That will be a serious blow to her ego, I can imagine. I mean, from what I saw, Mausolos' work is a true masterpiece."

Amisia nodded. "Yes, it is... and thus, the Mausoleum of Mausolos will be the true landmark of Halicarnassus, not all those towers!"

"Wow!" Unagi giggled. "Way to go, Amisia! And how about I'll help Mausolos with the finishing touches on his project?"

Amisia frowned. "I think not."

"Awww, bummer..."


	7. The Colossus of Rhodes

"So, how did Viluysia react after finding out that Amisia tricked her?" Makoto asked.

Setsuna smirked. "Well, I can't say for sure... But I heard that she blamed her spy for everything that happened, as she believed Harukras would have been able to tell her about Amisias plans if she had done her job right. Poor Harukras had to hide from her mistress' wrath in the middle of the new mausoleum... where there are plenty of pillars. So it might have taken Vilyusia some time before finding her in that place."

The others laughed.

By now, Luna had given up checking her history book for any proof of Setsuna's stories. "So, I suppose that's the end of that story. What's next?"

"Well, next I'm gonna tell you about... about..." Setsuna hesitated.

Hotaru looked at the Senshi of Pluto with a puzzled expression. "Setsuna-mama? Is everything all right?"

"Um, yeah, of course... So, now that we finished this story, the only wonder that's left is the seventh one."

"The seventh one?" Rei asked. "Um, what about the sixth one?"

"That's right," Minako nodded. "Logically, six would be the number that comes after five. I learned that much at school."

"Oh, really?" Artemis grinned. "What a surprise..."

Minako stared at him grimly.

"C'mon, Setsuna!" Usagi said impatiently. "Why don't you want to tell us about the sixth wonder?"

"B-but I can't really remember it too well..." Setsuna stuttered.

"I don't believe you," Chibiusa said. "Come now, Puu, I know you and I can see when you are lying."

"Is there a reason why you hesitate from telling us?" Ami asked. "Some sort of secret?"

The green-haired woman sighed. "Fine, fine... I'll tell you. Although I'd rather not... But just because it's you guys."

----

In the Aegean Sea, a part of the Mediterranean Sea, the big and prosperous island called Rhodes was situated.

The queen of Rhodes was an extremely beautiful, skilled, well-endowed...

Um, okay... she was a good-looking woman named Tsuna.

But she was not only beautiful, she was also a skilled politician and popular aristocrat, and it was thanks to her abilities as the ruler of Rhodes that the island kingdom turned into a nation of wealth.

Tsuna herself had a big amount of treasures and rare artifacts that she had gathered during her journeys all around the ancient world.

But this wealth came not without a price: Rhodes had been more than once the target of militant nations like Sparta, or of criminal organizations. Until now, Rhodes had always been able to defend itself against all aggressors.

But now...

Queen Tsuna was sitting within her dining hall, having dinner, when suddenly one of her couriers came running in.

"An urgent message from the mainland, your Majesty!" the swift-footed girl called Ruka said.

"Well, I hope it is important," Tsuna said grimly. "I don't like to be disturbed during my meals, you know that."

Ruka gave her queen a short bow. "Forgive me, my queen, but... this is urgent! The notorious Amazon Quartet has escaped from prison, and they say they are on their way to Rhodes."

"The Amazon Quartet?" Tsuna gasped. "That villainous group of pirate captains..."

Ruka nodded. "Yes, rumors have it that they already succeeded in hiring a new crew of pirates, and that they plan to rob our nation of all its treasures."

"We can't let them do that," Tsuna protested. "I won't let them lay a hand on my... um, on our treasures."

"Well, the weak point will be the harbor, as always," Ruka said with a sigh. "Honestly I do not know how we are going to defend us against them. Most of our battle ships have been destroyed during Sparta's latest assault on our island..."

"I know!" Tsuna suddenly perked up. "Chiru the Genius! She has to help us!"

Ruka couldn't help but blush. She had been attracted to the beautiful, turquoise-haired engineer and inventor for some time now, but her position didn't allow any romances.

"Um, d-do you want me to bring her a message?" the blonde courier asked.

"Never mind, I'll go myself," Tsuna said.

----

In the workshop of Chiru, arguably the most intelligent woman on Rhodes...

"Well, this does present a problem," Chiru said after hearing from the pirates. "And an urgent one at that. But, I think I may have a solution."

"You have?" Tsuna asked hopefully.

Usa and Taru, Chiru's two young assistants, smirked at each other.

"Chiru-mama always has a solution," Taru spoke up.

"Yeah, she's the smartest woman in the world," the pink-haired Usa proclaimed.

"Thanks for the praise, but I fear that this won't be as easy as it might sound," Chiru sighed. "Well... at first I thought about installing an alarm system, with infra-red cameras and motion detectors... but I would have to invent chips and transistors to make it work."

"What's she talking about?" Usa whispered to her violet-haired friend.

Taru shrugged. "Dunno. That's too complex for even me to understand."

Chiru then snapped her fingers. "That's it! I got it! How about a colossus, made from metal?"

"A cross?" Tsuna asked, as she didn't quite get the word.

"Not cross! A colossus! A giant statue, made from metal. We position it at the harbor, where it can protect the island from all invaders."

"A statue?" Tsuna frowned. "How's that going to stop a pirate ship?"

"Well, I can install various mechanical contraptions within the statue, which allows it to defend itself, and the island."

"Sounds pretty cool," Usa spoke up.

Tsuna shrugged. "Well, if that's what it takes to defend the island, do it! But make sure to finish the constructions until the day after tomorrow, at the latest."

"W-wait a second," Chiru stammered as Tsuna was turning around to leave. "To construct the colossus, I'll need at least hundred tons of copper."

"That much? Forget it! Ten tons have to be enough."

"How typically..." Taru sighed. "Tsuna-mama always has to be a cheapskate..."

Chiru frowned. "Okay, I'll reduce the statue's mass and raise my fee. Your decision."

"Fee?" Tsuna was taken aback. "You want to get paid?" She thought about it. "Okay, I'll be generous: You may have the copper trash that remains after the filing."

"WHAT?" Chiru shouted in disbelief. "But... but that's impossible, I need..."

"You have your order, so get to work!" the queen commanded. "If you're not successful, I'm gonna banish you from the island, understood?"

Having said that, Tsuna turned around and left the workshop, leaving behind a distraught Chiru and a pair of confused assistants.

----

When Tsuna walked back to her palace, she bumped into a certain individual she had preferred not to meet.

"Tomeus?" she wondered. "What are you doing here?"

The good-looking, but already white-haired man smiled. "I'm going to fetch my daughter from work, what else? I'm really proud of my Taru, you know? Chiru told me she would be a great help in her workshop."

"Whatever, I don't have much time, so if you would excuse me..."

"Um, w-wait a second," Taru's father said. "Don't leave just yet. C-can I invite you for lunch some day?"

The queen groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you that I can't go out with you. I am the queen, see, and you are just a mere citizen. Besides, I'm not really interested."

"But Queen Tsuna, if you would at least give me a chance..."

"I said NO!" the queen shouted. "And now, leave me alone already! Don't you have a daughter to take care of?"

Tomeus sighed in disappointment. "Of course, my queen..."

Tsuna huffed and walked back home. "The nerve..." she grumbled. "This has been going on for two months now. Can't that man realize I have no time for such an affair? Really, he has no respect at all to his queen..."

----

Amazing enough, Chiru managed the constructions on the colossus in time. And thus, two days after Tsunas visit in her workshop, the colossal statue was standing at the entrance of the harbor of Rhodes, its two copper legs standing on each side of the canal through which the ships were entering the main harbor itself.

Nearly all of the citizens of Rhodes were assembled at the harbor, cheering as the queen and the chief engineer were entering the statue through a small door at its base.

After climbing up a few stairs and ladders, they entered the control room inside of the statue's head. Tsuna took a look at the controls and smiled. "You really did well, Chiru. You can be proud of yourself."

The inventor sighed. "Still, my main concern is the lack of material. With only ten tons of copper, the colossus is somewhat... frail."

"Ah, the pirates won't come close enough to realize that," the queen said confidently.

"I hope they'll come soon," Usa said excitedly. "I can't wait to see how the colossus works."

"Um, let's just wait and see," Tsuna replied nervously.

----

Usa's wish should come true very soon, as on the same day, a big ship with colorful sails and a skull-and-crossbones flag was approaching the island.

"Land!" the man standing in the crow's nest shouted. "I see land!"

"Finally, the island of Rhodes," one of the four female captains smirked, her red hair waving in the ocean's breeze. Vesta was known as one of the most ruthless pirates throughout the Aegean Sea.

"The queen is supposed to own infinite riches," her pink-haired fellow captain Celes gushed.

"Although I'm wishing our ship wouldn't quite stand out like that," Juno, the green-haired member of the Quartet frowned. "Hey, Pallas! Did you have to choose such colorful sails?"

"Pallas is sorry," the ditzy, blue-haired pirate giggled. "But it looks just so pretty, doesn't it?"

Juno sighed. "Whatever..."

Suddenly, they could see a massive shape towering over the harbor of Rhodes.

"Huh?" Celes wondered. "What's that?"

"Dunno," Vesta muttered. "Looks like they put up some sort of scarecrow at the harbor."

"Don't be silly, that's a beacon," Juno said. "Don't you see the torch it is holding?"

Pallas smiled. "How nice of them to light our way."

"Yeah," Vesta chuckled evilly. "We should thank them cordially..." And she slowly drew her curved cutlass.

To their surprise, not even a single war ship was awaiting them. Although they knew that Rhodes had to suffer from Spartas last attack, they expected at least some resistance.

Well, they weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so they steered their ship towards the harbor.

"Attack!" Vesta yelled. "Plunder everything! Show no mercy!"

Juno scratched her head. "Hey, Vesta... is it just me or did that statue just move?"

Is wasn't just her. Indeed, the Colossus of Rhodes started leaning down a bit, and while it couldn't leave his position, its arms and legs were completely mobile and controllable through the 'cockpit' within its head.

The pirates stared in awe when suddenly, the statue lowered its right arm, the one with the torch, until it was aimed directly at the ship.

And then... a massive plume of fire came shooting out of the torch. The Amazon Quartet yelped in fear, and they dove down on their ship's deck, while their men were running around in a panic.

Luckily, the flame only singed the top of their mast. But they could see that the colossus was already preparing to fire anew.

"Turn around the ship!" Vesta screamed. "Let's get out of here!"

"Yeah, the climate of Rhodes seems a bit too hot this time of the year," Celes agreed.

Taru looked out of a small hatch in the statue's right eye and cheered. "They are retreating, hooray!"

"Look at them running!" Usa smirked, as she looked out of the other eye.

"Actually, they are sailing," Taru pointed out. "You couldn't run very well on water, you know?"

"Well, whatever..." Usa grumbled.

"Let's not celebrate just now," Chiru warned them. "They might still come back."

"Well, we'll be prepared for it," Tsuna exclaimed. "The statue is big enough, we will stay here for the night. But we'll need to put up a night watchman... or woman." Her gaze wandered over to her loyal messenger, who had also assisted in 'piloting' the colossus.

Ruka sighed. "I understand, my queen."

----

Meanwhile, the pirates reached their secret hideout on a small, deserted island.

"Well, that was a washout," one of the men complained.

"Yeah, you never told us Rhodes would have a secret weapon like that," another one grumbled. "That's too dangerous for my tastes. I'm outta here!"

"Yeah, me too," several other chorused.

"SHUT UP!!" Vesta bellowed, making the crew cower in fear. "I am the captain, understood? And I'm saying we'll try it again!"

"Easier said than done," Juno pointed out. "Or how do you plan on going past that colossus?"

"Yeah, I suppose Tsuna wouldn't have saved any costs when she built that thing," Celes nodded.

That made the four pirate captains blink and think about it. They were talking about Queen Tsuna of Rhodes here, who was infamous because of her stinginess.

Vesta smirked. "Well, but what if she had saved costs? Wouldn't that be too bad?"

"You have an idea?" Pallas asked curiously.

Vesta nodded. "Listen up, we'll do this..."

----

In the silent of the night, a smaller pirate boat approached the island once again. This time, it was a more inconspicuous vessel, with plain sails and no pirate flag. Only the Amazon Quartet and a small crew of assembled pirates were aboard.

"Careful now," Vesta whispered. "We don't want them to get suspicious."

"Yes, we're just a peaceful, little fishing boat," Pallas grinned as she cast her fishing rod.

They were in luck. No one was paying attention to their small boat, as it landed at the harbor. The four captains left the ship and told their men to wait for their signal.

Then they quietly approached the massive foot of the colossus that was standing in front of them.

----

It had been a quiet night. So quiet that Ruka didn't manage to stay awake. When Queen Tsuna decided to check on her servant, she got angry when she saw how the blonde, short-haired woman was snoozing peacefully.

"WAKE UP!" she shouted. Ruka gasped as jumped to her feet. In confusion, she looked around. "Wh-what? What's going on?"

"You fell asleep, that's what's going on," her queen grumbled. "You lazy bum! What if the pirates suddenly return and you wouldn't notice because you were asleep?"

"Oh, don't worry," Ruka yawned. "It's such a quiet night, I don't believe they'll come. See, everything is peaceful and quiet..."

Tsuna just frowned.

----

Unnoticed to the queen and her servant, the four pirate girls had climbed up the statue in the meantime. Coming from a circus family, that was not such a big feat. And on Vestas command, they all pulled out small, hand-operated drills and started to perforate the statue's hull.

"I was right," Vesta grinned. "Tsuna DID save some costs. The statue isn't massive, it is hollow. And we can easily make many little holes, until it looks like a swiss cheese."

"Strange idea," Pallas murmured. "Cheese with holes?"

----

When the statue started shaking, everyone grasped onto something, so they wouldn't fall.

"Wh-what's going on here?" Tsuna asked in worry.

"Um, I don't really know for sure..." Chiru replied. "But I have a hunch."

"Care to elaborate on that?"

"Well, I think the construction is going through a critical phase," Chiru said.

Tsuna didn't like the tone of that. "Meaning?"

"IT'S GONNA COLLAPSE!"

And in a shower of copper debris and machinery parts, the formerly impressive Colossus of Rhodes collapsed into a giant pile of junk.

After some time, some of the rubble got pushed aside, and the 'pilots' of the statue's control room dug their way out of the colossus' remains.

"What a great plan that was, Chiru," Tsuna coughed. "That statue was a giant waste of time. I should have known... exiling you might be even too merciful…"

The engineer didn't say anything. She just looked at the remains of her masterpiece and whined.

"Hey, Chiru can't be blamed for what happened," Usa protested. "The real reason behind all this is your excessive stinginess and... the Amazon Quartet! Look, over there!"

The pink-haired girl was right. Having jumped off the collapsing statue just in time, the four pirate girls laughed in triumph as they looked at the rubbish in front of them, even giving each other the high-five. Afterwards, they were calling their men and led them into town, to plunder and ravage.

"We have to do something," Taru spoke up. "Isn't there a way to stop them?"

The queen sighed. "Where are they headed?"

"Um, sorry to tell you this, but it seems like they have decided to head for your palace first," Chiru said.

Tsuna groaned and collapsed on the ground. "I'm a bad queen, am I?" she sighed.

"Um, I wouldn't put it that way," Taru commented. "You just have your own ways of caring for your subjects."

"Yeah... and see where it brought us," Tsuna muttered.

Taru wanted to say anything else, to cheer the queen up, but then she looked over to town, and what she saw made her gasp. "Daddy! Oh no! The pirates are heading his way."

----

The pirates under the command of the Amazon Quartet were in good spirits. Laughing and swinging their weapons around, they made their way through the main street of town. They knew the guards of the palace would be no match for them.

"We did it!" Celes cheered. "Now we're gonna be rich!"

"Yeah, we sure showed them, huh?" Juno grinned smugly.

"And all because of my brilliant plan," Vesta laughed.

She frowned, when she saw a lanky man walking in front of them. He had his back turned towards them, so he didn't see the pirates.

"Who's that?" Pallas asked curiously.

"Dunno, but he's in the way," Vesta growled. "Hey skinny, move it!" she shouted and pushed the white-haired man to the ground.

Tomeus fell down with a startled gasp. "Wh-what?"

"You better get out of our way, or you'll be sorry," Juno grumbled and cracked her knuckles. Tomeus gulped.

Suddenly, a booming voice made them all jump in surprise: "YOU GET YOUR SLIMY HANDS OFF MY TOMEUS RIGHT NOW, YOU CROOKS!"

"What the...?" Vesta stuttered and turned around just in time to see a vicious fury with emerald-green hair coming at them, teeth bared and eyes blazing.

And when she saw a fist coming at her face, the only thing she could say was: "Oh sh..."

WHAM! BAM! SOCK! POW! WHACK!

Ruka, Chiru and Taru were watching in awe as their queen, spurred by her feelings, was beating every single pirate down to a pulp.

In the end, she was standing on top of a pile of unconscious or half-unconscious pirates, wiping her hands on her toga.

"Can anyone tell me what happened?" Celes asked dizzily.

"Oooooh, Pallas' head hurts," the blue-haired pirate captain whined.

"Are moves like that even legal?" Juno groaned, trying to get out from under her heavy crew members.

Vesta just grumbled.

"Incredible!" Chiru gasped. "Now that's the true Colossus of Rhodes!"

"Whoo-hoo!" Usa cheered. "Way to go, Tsuna!"

Taru smiled. "I knew it. You were trying to hide it, but I always knew you had some feelings for my Dad."

"Um, I... I don't know what you're talking about..." the queen said in a grumpy voice.

Tomeus got up from the ground and smiled. "Aw, I understand. I can see that you are a little bit grumpy sometimes, my dear, but that's just how you are, right? I still love you, sweetheart."

"Now, l-let's not get too informal here," the queen protested. "See, the guards are coming to take the pirates to prison, and now everyone can go back to work and..."

"Aw, but I can't let you go without having thanked you for my rescue," Taru's father smirked.

"Yeah, and for free at that," Usa giggled. "How unbelievable is that?"

"N-now don't be too hasty here," Tsuna stammered. "I just..."

Tomeus grinned, took her hand and kissed it like a gentleman.

Queen Tsuna felt her resistances melt away like snow in the heat of summer. She coughed nervously.

"T-Tomeus, I, um... I might just feel something for you, something like, I dunno... fondness?"

Tomeus smiled broadly at her. "I knew you would," he said and gave her a big hug.

"H-hey, I didn't say you could... Hey, knock it off! Everyone's watching!"

"Hooray!" Taru cheered. "All's well that ends well!"

----

Setsuna groaned. "And that's the embarrassing tale of my most sentimental incarnation, Queen Tsuna..."

The Inner Senshi, along with Chibiusa and Hotaru, were smiling at her. "The story's end is so beautiful," Ami said. "Don't tell us that's the reason why you wouldn't tell us..."

Hotaru grinned. "You know, I believe Daddy likes you very much as well. What do you say to that?"

Usagi giggled. "Who knows, maybe they end up becoming an item, just like their historical counterparts."

"Um, me and the doctor?" Setsuna asked, taken aback. "Um, that's ridiculous... Uh, could you excuse me for a while? I'll be right back..." In a hurry, she ran over to the restaurant's restroom.

Minako gave her friends a wink. "As the Senshi of Love, let me tell you this: She's totally hooked!"


	8. The Lighthouse of Alexandria

Some time later, Setsuna still hasn't come back from the restroom.

"I bet she's still thinking about Tsuna's story," Makoto spoke up.

"Well, she still has one other story to tell us," Chibiusa said in a grumpy voice.

Hotaru smirked. "I have a method how to make her return." She nodded towards the waiter, who was just arriving with their desserts.

She raised her voice: "SETSUNA-MAMA! Your dessert's here!"

In a burst of speed, the green blur that was Setsuna came dashing out of the restroom and quickly sat down in front of the enormous sundae that was standing in front of her seat. "You called?" she asked and licked her lips, reaching for the spoon.

Hotaru giggled. "Works every time."

Usagi raised an eyebrow when she saw how Setsuna dug into her dessert, before she started eating herself. "And you tell me I'm eating like a pig," she muttered to Luna. The black cat just sighed.

"Well then," Rei said. "Didn't you want to tell us about the last Wonder of the World?"

Ami nodded. "Yes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria! That's the only one still remaining."

"Very well then," Setsuna mumbled with a full mouth. "The story starts in Alexandria, a town in ancient Egypt. Your previous incarnations..." She looked at Ami, Rei and Makoto. "Were entertaining themselves by playing an exciting game."

"What game?" Ami asked curiously. "I wouldn't know what people were playing back then..."

"Well, it isn't as different from our times as you would think," the Senshi of Time smirked. "They were playing a game known as Acropoly, the ancestor of the always popular 'Monopoly'..."

----

Reisis frowned as she stared down at the board, then at her blue-haired friend. "Amitis, you know I'm gonna win, right?"

Amitis smirked. "I don't think so. Now, Makoth... when will you finally sell me the Street of the Hanging Gardens?"

The pony-tailed girl shook her head. "Never! You already have Mausoleum Street and Pyramid Square."

Amitis shrugged. "So?"

"If you have all three, you'll start building houses and temples, and we're done for."

Reisis then sighed. "Speaking of building, any of you have an idea how the building plans of our dear friend Minaket are faring?"

Makoth shrugged. "Don't know any more than you. All I know that Mamoreas is gonna inspect the construction site today."

All of them suddenly winced, as an incredibly loud bellow echoed through their house, the street they were living in, as well as the whole harbor district:

"MIIIIINNNAAAAAAAKEEEEEEETT!"

"That would be him now..." Makoth said dizzily. "Ow... my ears..."

----

On the small island Pharos, in the Alexandrian bay, the black-haired town official Mamoreas menacingly approached the blonde, bow-wearing girl that nervously backed off, until her back was against the weird structure that was built behind her.

"Minaket, whatever gave you the idea of doing something as stupid as this?" the high official of the Pharaoh asked.

"B-but this is exactly just what you asked me to build," Minaket exclaimed. "Didn't you want a tunnel like this?"

"A tunnel?" Mamoreas asked. "Why would I want to build a tunnel on this island?"

"But look, this is what you gave me." She pulled out a piece of papyrus. "See, I was building in accordance to the plan. I don't really understand why..."

"That would be the first time, Minaket," Mamoreas grumbled and snatched the plan out of her hands. "You have to hold the plan like THIS, you stupid little..."

Minaket blinked. "What? Why would you want to build a vertical tunnel?"

"That is no tunnel, it's a tower, you... you..." He sighed. "Never mind..."

Minaket scratched the back of her head. "Huh? But why would you want to build a tower here?"

"I think I have to explain it," her superior groaned. "See, when the tower is finished, I'm gonna place some light source on its tip, and it will be able to light the way for all the merchant ships. You know how often they had crashed against the cliffs right next to our harbor, right?"

"Yeah, you're right, the Pharaoh already complained about that."

Mamoreas nodded. "See, and that's why we're gonna build this tower... a Lighthouse, so to speak. It will guide the ships into our harbor, and bring us their precious cargo."

"Sounds not too bad," Minaket had to admit.

"Yes, and that's the reason why some day the word 'Lighthouse' will be translated with 'Pharos' in Greek... The name of this island."

He then threw the blonde girl a glance. "Provided that some clumsy architect will be able to finish the construction in time! GET TO WORK!"

"R-right away, sir!" Minaket saluted.

----

Some time (and many accidents) later...

"Incredible," Mamoreas said in a half-mocking voice. "You actually did it."

"Yeah, I know I'm great and all, enough with the praise," Minaket replied.

"Now it's not much longer until we can make it illuminate the night," Mamoreas said as he looked up at the finished lighthouse, a tall tower that has been decorated with images and hieroglyphics. He gave Minaket a small purse. "Here's some money. Go to town and visit the best merchant for combustibles. His name is Motokis."

Minaket grinned. "Is he cute?"

"No amorous adventures, Minaket!" her superior said sternly. "Just go there, buy the combustibles and return. And don't you dare spending it for something else, you hear me?"

"Hey, would you think I would waste good money like that?" Minaket huffed. "You know me, do you?"

"Yes, I do. That's the reason why I'm worried. Now, off with you!"

"Aye aye, sir!" Minaket mocked and left.

----

In town, Minaket saw many things she would like to buy, had she enough time and money for herself. But this time, she wanted to prove to Mamoreas that she could be steady.

She knocked at the merchant's door, but nobody answered. She tried it again, but to no avail. She scratched her head. Did Mamoreas give her the correct address?

"If you're looking for Motokis, you're wasting your time," a voice said from behind her. She turned around and saw an old man leaning against a house wall.

"Well, do you know where I can find him?" she asked.

"Yes, he went into the desert, to search for a certain stone I told him about. He sold me a valuable piece of history for that information. But..." The old man smirked at the cute blonde. "For you, I would give that information for FREE!"

'Great...' Minaket thought to herself. 'An old lech...'

Still, she put on her most charming smile and said in a sweet voice: "Would you please tell me where Motokis went?"

The old man grinned. "Of course, my dear! That stone I told him about is supposed to shine brightly even in the deepest darkness. It's supposed to be hidden within an abandoned mine, so he went to the old mine shafts in the northern desert."

Minaket grinned. A shining stone? THat would be just the right thing for her lighthouse. She had to find that guy.

"Thanks a lot for your help," she told the old man. "I have to go now, bye!" And she was off.

The old man shook his head. "Those young people, always in a rush. Just like Motokis, she didn't even let me finish."

He shrugged and leaned back against the wall. "Well, too bad for them! If they find the stone and don't know how to use it correctly..."

He then whistled while pulled out the 'valuable piece of history' Motokis had sold him. Chuckling to himself, he turned around the separate parts of the colorful cube.

"This game is so much fun..."

----

Motokis was already busy digging through the various mines that were situated north of Alexandria. At the moment, he was just looking through an abandoned coal mine.

"Nothing..." he grunted to himself as he put down his shovel and wiped his forehead. "Not even the tiniest spark of light. Not even a tiny bit of gold."

He looked down at the useless heap of rocks that he had dug up. "This is the fifth mine I'm digging through, and I still didn't manage to find the stone that guy was talking about.

He sighed. "I'm starting to believe this wasn't such a good idea after all... what if that stone doesn't really exist?"

----

Meanwhile, in the palace of the spunky, rich and beautiful merchant called Ugasi...

"Yoohoo!" the pig-tailed, young woman cheered as she looked down at a certain stone slab with ancient writings that was lying in front of her. "Finally, I found it: The Glowing Stone!"

She once again read the text on the stone slab carefully, then she grinned. "According to these ancient texts, anyone who gets near it while its hidden within a bunch of roses... will deeply fall in love with the first person he sees."

She giggled as she put down the slab and left the room. "I guess I'll just have to go for a little journey into the desert. And after I found that interesting stone..." She grinned broadly. "My dear Mamoreas will finally be mine!"

----

Some time later, Minaket was already walking through the desert, carrying some stuff you always should take along when walking through this heated pile of sand.

"Nothing but sand..." she grumbled. "If he had given me a map, I could have at least found those mines he told me about."

She looked up when suddenly, wind started blowing. But that was no small breeze... it was the beginning of a massive sand storm.

Within a couple of moments, Minaket couldn't see anything but a chaotic vortex of sand.

"Just great..." she groaned as she fought against the storm. "I just had to come here. Oh man... now how am I gonna find that Motokis?"

In that moment, her head hit something hard, and she fell down to the ground.

----

Motokis winced as he shielded his eyes against the sand the storm was blowing at him. "Glowing stone? Yeah, right! It's getting darker while I go. I should have never listened to that old man."

He kept going. "Now how am I gonna find the way back home...? Ouch!"

He suddenly ran against something hard, got thrown backwards and fell down unconscious.

----

Ugasi had similar problems.

"If I knew there would be such storms in the desert, I would have stayed home in my warm and comfy palace..." she whined. "Now how am I gonna find the Glowing Stone...? OOF!"

Through the masses of sand, she didn't see obstacle in her way and hit it right with her head. She quickly was knocked out cold.

----

A short while after all this, the storm calmed down.

All around a wooden sign, attached to a wooden pole that was sticking in the ground, three people were lying, unconscious: Minaket, Motokis and Ugasi.

The sign itself was positioned at the entrance of a tunnel that was leading inside the earth.

It read: 'Salt Mine'.

----

When Motokis woke up, it felt to him as if someone had used his head as an anvil. He clutched it with a groan and shakily stood up.

"What happened?" he muttered to himself, then he noticed the other two persons lying on the sandy ground. "Do I know those two?" he wondered. "Of course! That's Ugasi!"

His gaze then fell on Minaket. "And if I'm right, this is one of the architects working under Mamoreas. I wonder why they're here..."

He then looked up at the tunnel entrance in front of him. "Wait a minute... this may be just a salt mine, but it's a mine nevertheless... Maybe this is where the Glowing Stone is hidden."

He decided to let the two girls sleep for now and entered the mine. After searching through it for a while, he sighed. "Well, so much for that. Seems like this mine is as big a flop as the others."

He turned around to leave... but then his gaze fell upon a big pile of salt crystals in one corner.

And in its middle, he saw the big, golden glowing stone. I looked similar to gold, but much, much smoother to the touch. Also, it's glow was much brighter than the faint glitter of gold.

"Unbelievable," he gasped. "I finally found it!"

In joy, he grabbed the stone, ran outside... and promptly fell on his nose, as he stumbled over a pair of slender legs.

Minaket shook her head. "Huh? Where am I?" She then saw the stone lying on the ground. "Hey! It's the Glowing Stone!" And she reached out to take it.

"Wait a minute!" Motokis protested and snatched the stone away from her. "I found it first."

"But I want to buy it," Minaket explained.

"Oh, really?" Motokis asked suspiciously. "How much?"

Minaket showed him the money Mamoreas gave her. The blonde merchant started laughing. "Hahaha, you'll need to give me much more than that. This tiny little stone can shine for 77.777 years... and if it's placed upon a torch, it will shine even brighter."

"Well, I still have to have it," Minaket insisted. "Mamoreas needs it."

"Wait... did you say it's for Mamoreas?" Motokis asked. Minaket nodded.

'Now what?' Motokis wondered. 'I still owe him plenty of money...'

He chuckled nervously. "Um, surely I would be honored to sell this stone to Mamoreas... that is, if the price is correct."

"I'm bidding 100 gold pieces for that rock," a third voice suddenly announced. They both turned around to see Ugasi, who had finally woken up.

"Really?" Motokis asked with glee. That was much more money than he was owing Mamoreas.

"Stay out of this," Minaket grumbled. "He already decided."

"Exactly," Motokis nodded. "I decided to accept Ugasis offer."

"Wonderful!" the female merchant gushed.

"W-what?" Minaket stuttered. "Hey, wait a minute..."

"Here you go!" Ugasi said as she gave Motokis 100 pieces of gold, right out of her purse. In exchange, he gave her the Glowing Stone.

"This isn't fair," Minaket whined. "I need it for the Lighthouse of Alexandria..."

"Oh, don't worry," Ugasi smiled. "This stone isn't for me, it's for Mamoreas!"

"Really?" Minaket and Motokis asked simultaneously.

"Of course," Ugasi said with a smirk. "And I'm pretty sure he'll like it."

"Oh well, all is fine then," Motokis smiled.

"But, be sure to give it to him before 8 o'clock tonight, understood?" Minaket told the pigtailed woman. "It's important!"

"I'll keep it in mind," Ugasi promised.

Later, when Motokis and Minaket had left, Ugasi returned to her own palace back in town.

"Teehee, those two didn't suspect a thing," she giggled. "They never suspected once that the Glowing Stone can do so much more than just shining brightly..."

----

"Sir, I just received a message from your neighbor, Lady Ugasi," one of Mamoreas' servants said as he entered the official's office. "She wants to invite you for a cup of tea."

"Again?" Mamoreas sighed. "How often do I have to tell that girl that I ave no time for that? I'm busy with the preparations for the incoming merchant fleet. They're supposed to arrive tonight, and the lighthouse must be completed by then." He shook his head. "I still wonder what Minaket is doing. I sent her to buy some combustibles, but it was hours ago. If she doesn't make it in time..."

"But sir..." the servant intervened. "Lady Ugasi told me she also wanted to settle an old score."

Mamoreas smirked faintly. "That old trick? I'm not falling for it... again."

The servant shrugged and emptied the small leather pouch he had been carrying, so that the numerous gold pieces in it were clattering over the table. "She asked me to give you this in advance."

Mamoreas paused for a moment and stared down at the glittering coins. Well, who was he to keep a lady waiting?

He smiled. "Tell that noble woman I will be pleased to come."

----

Later, within the palace of Ugasi.

"I'm so happy you could come," the female merchant gushed.

"Well, let's get this over with..." Mamoreas sighed. "What was that about an old score?"

"Ah, let's talk about that later. Would you like a cup of tea? Or a piece of cake?"

"Well, if you insist..." Mamoreas muttered. While he liked the attention Ugasi was giving him, he'd rather be back in his office, to prepare everything for the arrival of the merchant fleet.

As he sat down, Ugasi also put a huge bouquet of roses in front of him. "A few flowers for a romantic atmosphere," she smiled. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Uh, that's okay! Now, the tea..."

"Right away, my dear!" Ugasi said with a smirk.

'Lucky!' she thought. 'He never noticed the Glowing Stone that's hidden within the roses...'

----

In the small house she was sharing with her friends, Minaket let herself fall down on her bed.

"Finally..." she sighed and sank back into the soft pillows. "Ugasi makes sure that Mamoreas gets the Glowing Stone, and then my work for the lighthouse will finally be done."

"Well, I'm happy for you," Reisis said. "Still, it's amazing that the lighthouse hasn't fallen into the ocean or something..."

The blonde girl glowered at her friend. "What do you mean by that?" she asked with a grim look."

"Well, there was this old tale about a clumsy architect in Greece, whose tower tilted just after being constructed... from what I heard, it sounded just like something you would do."

Before Minaket would do something that she might regret later on, Amitis quickly intervened: "Um, by the way, wasn't the tower supposed to be glowing by now?"

She looked out of the window, where the sun was slowly beginning to set.

Minaket nearly fell out of her bed. "Wh-what? You're saying it's not glowing yet?"

"Look for yourself!" her blue-haired friend said and gestured outside.

From the window, they had a clear view of the great bay of Alexandria, also at the island of Pharos, where the lighthouse was standing.

But Amitis was right: It was still pitch black out there."

"M-maybe Ugasi has forgotten to give the Glowing Stone to Mamoreas..." Minaket mumbled.

Makoth looked at her curiously. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm finished!" Minaket cried. "Mamoreas will never forgive me if I mess that up now." She jumped up from her bed. "Sorry, have to leave now! I'll explain later..."

And she was gone.

Amitis frowned. "Glowing Stone?" she muttered. "Now where have I heard about that before?"

----

Meanwhile...

"Oh my dear Ugasi, how could I ever have missed how beautiful you are..."

Ugasi giggled. "Oh Mamoreas, you flatterer..."

She was exhilarated. Finally, Mamoreas was hers. She was certain that he had always loved her, but that he was too shy to show her his affections. But now, the stone was bringing those feelings to the surface...

"Aaah, the power of love..." she sighed.

Suddenly, the door to her room got kicked in and Minaket stormed into the room. "What's wrong with you?" she shouted. "Give me the stone, quickly! I need it for the tower!"

"You'll never get it, you jerk!" Ugasi shouted, clutching the bouquet of roses.

"So there it is," Minaket smiled. "Thanks, I would have never found it without your help. Now give it to me!"

"Never! Leave us alone!"

By now, Minaket has cornered the merchant in one corner of the room. Ugasi was still holding the roses in her hands.

"Huh?" Mamoreas asked in confusion. "What are you two doing there?" He clutched his head. "Oooh, what happened to me?"

'Oh no!' Ugasi thought. 'Now that the roses aren't near him anymore, they stop working their charm on him...'

She tried running through the room but stumbled over the edge of a carpet, and the roses fell down to the ground. The Glowing Stone rolled out of the bouquet, until he came to a stop at the feet of Mamoreas.

"Huh?" he asked dizzily. "What's that? Looks valuable..."

"Be careful!" Minaket shouted. "That's the Glowing Stone for our lighthouse."

"The lighthouse?" Mamoreas asked. "Yes, I remember..."

"Sorry, but this is mine," Ugasi said and snatched it out of her love's hands. "Thank you, darling!"

"Stop it! Give that back!" Minaket growled and ran after her anew.

"Now hold it right there, Minaket!" Mamoreas shouted. "Leave my sweetheart alone, you hear me?"

"W-what?" Minaket asked in surprise.

Ugasi was surprised as well. 'Phew, the stone is still working... even if it's not in the roses anymore.'

Mamoreas walked over to embrace her. "Give me a hug, my dear!"

"Nothing shall stop our love," Ugasi sighed.

Mamoreas then looked at the stone. "How beautiful. May I have a look at that, please?"

"Of course, darling! Anytime!" she gushed. "It's the source of our neverending love..."

Mamoreas smiled as he looked down at the stone in his hands. "What a nice thing to say..."

He then looked up at her face. "But I'm afraid I can't stay. I have to deliver this stone to my tower. Come, Minaket, follow me!"

"Right away, sir!" Minaket nodded.

Never before in her life had Ugasi felt this betrayed. "You... you... you SEDUCER! CHEATER! COME BACK HERE!"

She grabbed her expensive silverware and porcelain dishes and threw them after the fleeing duo. But they were already too far away.

----

Panting and wheezing, Mamoreas and Minaket reached the harbor, where they took one of the small boats. Quickly, they rowed over to Pharos and entered the lighthouse.

"Run, Minaket, run!" Mamoreas shouted. "The ships of the merchant fleet arrive any minute now!"

They reached the top of the tower, where Mamoreas placed the Glowing Stone on the pedestal, and Minaket lit it with a torch.

"We made it in time," Mamoreas sighed in relief as the bright light of the stone shone out of the lighthouse's top chamber, illuminating the whole bay.

"Finally..." Minaket groaned.

They went down the stairs again and looked at the lighthouse from below.

"Look at that sight," Mamoreas said. "Minaket, I'm proud of you. That tower is a true masterpiece of work... and that Glowing Stone is better than any torch. This lighthouse will have its place in history."

"Well, I'm happy to hear that," the blonde architect smiled.

Suddenly, they heard a noise. It wasn't the usual rushing of the sea, it was the splashing of another boat.

Minaket turned around and was surprised to see her three friends approaching the island in another boat.

"What are you doing here?" she wondered as they climbed out of the boat.

"Well, we wanted to see the lighthouse from close," Makoth explained. "And Amitis said she had something to tell you."

"Yes," Amitis said. "It's about the Glowing Stone... I just remembered what I read about it before."

"Well, what is it?" Mamoreas asked.

"The Glowing Stone can shine for 77.777 years... but only if it's stored within a salt deposit."

"So that's why it was hidden within a salt mine," Minaket said. "Now I understand."

"And if not, what then?" Mamoreas asked.

"Then the duration shortens to 7.777 years."

Mamoreas laughed. "You almost had me worried there. Well, this will certainly be enough, won't you say, Minaket?"

The blonde girl grinned. "Sure, more than enough."

"Um, there's more..." Amitis spoke up. "But I wonder if that actually concerns you..."

"What? Spit it out!" Mamoreas said impatiently.

"Well, if the Glowing Stone is hidden within a bunch of roses, and someone uses it to make someone else fall in love with him or her, the stone loses much of its energy... and the time span will shorten to only seven minutes."

Mamoreas was stunned for a moment. He then whimpered. "Please... please, tell me that you didn't just say that."

"I'm sorry," Amitis winced. "But that's what I read."

"Look at that!" Reisis shouted and gestured up to the tower, where the bright light of the Glowing Stone was just fading.

"M-maybe there's still time to exchange it for a normal torch..." Minaket muttered.

But it was too late.

All of a sudden, a massive crash made all of them jump in surprise. They gasped in surprise when suddenly, the whole tower came crashing down. And they could clearly see the reason: Two of the merchant fleet's ships have crashed against the island, and the tower itself.

They all managed to get off the island in time, but the tower met its demise.

----

The next morning...

"But sir," one of the ship's captains tried to defend himself. "How were we supposed to see anything? First, everything was as bright as during the day... and then, all of a sudden, it went dark. We couldn't see a thing."

"No excuses," Mamoreas said sternly. "Now go and help those girls to recover the sunken goods."

He then sighed and looked at the small pile of wares that had already been salvaged from the bottom of the bay. 'I guess I'll just have to use some of these valuable wares as a present for a certain young lady... with pigtails... I hope she'll forgive me then...'

Meanwhile, Minaket came back to the surface, spitting out some sea water. She put the chest of jewels she had just recovered on the dry land, where her friends were putting it on a pile.

"I can't take this anymore..." she whined. "I've already been down there 38 times by now."

Amitis made some quick calculations. "Then I think you only have to dive approximately 9.616.081 more times to recover all of the sunken wares."

Minaket whined. "My life is hell..."

----

"Well?" Usagi asked when Setsuna scooped up the last bit of her dessert.

"Well what?" the green-haired storyteller asked.

Usagi shuffled forward a bit on her chair. "Did Ugasi forgive him?"

"In the end, yes. I suppose she understood that this disaster could have been averted if she hadn't used the Glowing Stone to ensnare her love. You could say she felt bad herself after the whole affair."

"And what about the tower?" Luna asked. "According to this book, the true Lighthouse of Alexandria was supposed to be standing for many years to come."

"Well, then I guess it must be true, then," Setsuna shrugged.

"But in your story..."

Setsuna put down her spoon. "I only said that ONE lighthouse has been destroyed. Who said that they didn't rebuild it?"

The others blinked and looked at each other. That made sense.

"So that was it?" Minako asked in a disappointed voice. "No more stories?"

"I'm afraid that was the last one," Setsuna smiled.

"Awww, bummer!" Chibiusa whined. "They have been so exciting..."

"True, and I only got to hear about two of my previous incarnations," Hotaru sighed.

"Still, Setsuna... I really can't believe that everything happened just as you told us," Luna scowled. "I mean, come on: A Rubik's Cube in ancient Egypt? Magical seeds that make visions of the future come true? A robotic Colossus of Rhodes? And a glowing stone that could be used as a light source AND a way of making someone fall in love with you? That all sounds pretty unbelievable to me."

"Well, she must know it, right?" Ami shrugged. "I mean, she is the Guardian of Time, after all."

"That, and maybe a first-class swindler..." the black cat grumbled.

Setsuna seemed to be thinking of something. She then nodded to herself and called for the waiter. "The bill, please!" She paid him and stood up after he left.

"Okay, everyone, follow me!"

"Why? Where are we going?" Makoto asked as they followed the older Senshi out of the restaurant.

"I'm gonna show you the Eighth Wonder of the World. Maybe that will convince you that every part of my story was nothing but the genuine truth."

"EIGHTH WONDER?" they all shouted in surprise. "I thought there have been only Seven Wonders," Usagi added.

Setsuna smirked mysteriously. "Just take out your transformation wands."

"Why should we do that?" Rei was more than puzzled.

"Only Senshi are able to reach that place. Now hurry up and do it!"

----

"Well?" Setsuna turned around and smiled. "What do you think? Isn't the Eighth Wonder the greatest of all?"

The Inner Senshi, along with the two cats, Chibiusa and Hotaru, were all sweatdropping, as they stared at what was standing in front of them.

The Gates of Time.

"You wanna tell us THIS is supposed to be one of the Wonders of the World?" Luna shook her head in disbelief. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Well, the Moon Kingdom has been around for a much longer time than most cultures, and the Gates of Time ARE their most impressive achievement of combining Senshi magic and an excellent piece of architecture with the stream of time."

The Guardian of Time then sighed. "Well, the other Wonders have all been remarkable as well, of course. What a pity that most of them have been destroyed over time..."

Minako stepped closer to the Gates of Time and examined the elaborate engravings on its surface. Shen then chuckled and raised her finger. "Yeah, as if I would now touch the gates right here and they would collapse..."

"NO!" Setsuna suddenly screamed. "DON'T TOUCH THAT SPOT!"

But Sailor Venus' outstretched finger had already touched the Gates' frame, where an invisible mechanism was hidden underneath the surface. A faint click later, and the whole construct started rumbling.

"MINAKO, YOU DIMWIT!" Pluto screeched. "You activated the NASA (Nearly Automatic Self-destruction Activator)!"

A short while afterwards, only some rubble remained of the most remarkable piece of architecture in the history of the Moon Kingdom.

Minako backed off nervously, while her fellow Senshi stared at her.

"Heh heh, oops!" she said with a nervous grin. "Ummm... sorry?"

Setsuna started to growl. She grabbed her Garnet Rod like a mace and approached the Senshi of Venus with a grimace of fury.

Minako realized that she was in trouble now. With a frightened 'eep', she jumped backwards, turned around and started running.

"MINAKO!" Setsuna yelled while running after her and swinging her rod around. "You'll rebuild that for me, stone after stone, after you'll have recollected every single piece of rubble. Do you hear me?? STOP RUNNING AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT LIKE A SENSHI!!"

Sailor Moon, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter couldn't think of anything appropriate to say, so they just stared at the bizarre scene.

Chibimoon groaned as she sat down next to the rubble that had once been the Gates of Time. "I kinda already knew something like that would happen..."

"It's strange, isn't it?" Saturn sighed. "Circumstances may change over the years and centuries... but certain things will never change."


End file.
